Delaying pension reforms will leave millions on track for a poor old age

The Government must not make a u-turn on its plans to start automatically enrolling all workers into a pension from next year, the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) warned.

In a letter to George Osborne ahead of his Autumn Statement, the NAPF expressed alarm that the Government may be considering exempting small businesses from the reforms, or that it might delay its implementation for some or all employers.

With 14 million people set to have an inadequate income in retirement, the NAPF urged the Government to stick with the existing reforms and timetable, which could help up to nine million people save for their old age. It added that, under the current plans, auto-enrolment will be gradually phased in to help ease the transition.

Speaking ahead of an NAPF conference tomorrow to help employers prepare for auto-enrolment, Joanne Segars, the NAPF Chief Executive, said:

“Whilst carving out or pushing back the start date for small employers might have short term political temptations in the current economic climate, the longer term effects would be highly damaging to the nation’s retirement prospects.

“When it comes to pensions, the Government must stick to Plan A. These reforms are a once in a lifetime opportunity to help tackle the UK’s pensions saving crisis. These reforms have been a decade in the making and now is the time to press play, not pause.

“Small firms are essential to making these reforms work. Of the nine million expected to be enrolled, up to three and a half million are working for small businesses. Exempting them or delaying their start would put them at risk of a retirement spent in poverty.”

From next year employers will be required to enrol people over 22 and earning a minimum of £7,475 per annum into a workplace pension. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) estimates that this will get up to nine million people to saving into a pension for the first time, or get them saving more.

Last month it emerged that the confidential Beecroft report commissioned by Downing Street recommended that auto-enrolment be delayed for small companies.

As things stand, small employers will only be required to auto-enrol people into a pension from 2014 and pensions contributions will be phased in gradually to limit the impact on employers.

According to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), small employers with 1 and 49 members of staff employed 7,080,000 workers in the UK in 2010.

 

Notes to editors:

1. Joanne Segars is available for interview.

2. The auto-enrolment rules will be introduced from 1 October 2012, firstly for employers with 120,000 staff or more. They will require all employers to auto-enrol workers over 22 and earning more than £7,475 per annum into a pension scheme. Employers are required to pay 3% minimum of qualifying earnings towards a pension, while workers at least 4%, and tax relief of 1% is paid by the government. Qualifying earnings are between £5,715 and £38,185.

3. The NAPF is the leading voice of workplace pensions in the UK. We speak for 1,200 pension schemes with some 15 million members and assets of around £800 billion. NAPF members also include over 400 businesses providing essential services to the pensions sector.

Contacts:

Paul Platt, Head of Media and PR, NAPF, 020 7601 1717 or 07917 506 683. [email protected]

Christian Zarro, Press Officer, NAPF, 020 7601 1718 or 07825 171 446, [email protected]