pensions

Deferred state pensions which are later taken as a lump sum will NOT count against most pensioners when calculating their entitlements to other benefits, suggest industry experts looking at last Thursday's Pensions Bill proposals.

THE CONSERVATIVES yesterday pointed a finger at the government's current spending spree and said it would campaign to freeze most Whitehall budgets, except health, education and pensions.

Independent Financial Advisers stand to gain if more employers with small- to medium-sized defined benefits (DB) pension schemes move towards a "bundled" approach, says Scottish Life.

Pensions provider and administrator James Hay has relaunched its online SIPP management service, which will allow advisers and clients to view and manage more than 32,000 SIPPs online.

Employers might not find out how much they will be paying for the Pension Protection Fund until five days before the scheme will come into effect, warns Steve Bee.

The cost to employers has so far been the main caveate applied to views on the Pensions Protection Fund, but a closer inspection of the powers of the new pensions regulator, taking over after OPRA, reveals there may be other issues to consider.

PENSIONS EXPERTS, consumer watchdogs and business organisations have all aired concerns about the Pensions Bill, which was finally released by the Department for Work and Pensions yesterday.

Initial analysis of the Pensions Bill suggests the Department of Work and Pensions "forgot" to compare notes with the Inland Revenue as its latest proposal includes a rule, which will be abolished under simplification proposals being introduced next year....

Government proposals to charge employers a risk-based fee when introducing the Pension Protection Fund could open loopholes for weaker companies who want to avoid the extra levy, according to industry experts.

Employers with high-risk schemes will have to pay a higher levy if they want to reap the benefits of the proposed Pension Protection Fund (PPF), but not until the second year the legislation is in effect, says Andrew Smith MP, Secretary of State for work...