Blog: Decent pensions are not a political trading chip

In what cynics would have called inevitable, the government yesterday backed down on auto-enrolment plans.

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In what cynics would have called inevitable, the government yesterday backed down on auto-enrolment plans.

Pensions minister Steve Webb announced auto-enrolment will be delayed by a year for all businesses with fewer than 50 employees, and firms with up to 3,000 employees could also have their staging dates pushed back. Employer groups have long argued for exemptions for small businesses, delays and reduced contribution minimums for their members, citing the squeeze on business caused by the recession as their reasoning. The government could not build its entire mandate on stimulating the economy and then place a huge burden on businesses. Webb has said auto-enrolment will still go ahea...

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