The mystery of the missing pensions

The mystery of the missing pensions

THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING PENSIONS

10

JUNE, 2021

Pensions
State Pension
Retirement

It’s been widely reported that millions of people have lost track of their workplace pensions as people change jobs and move house so often.

An estimated £19 billion is sitting unclaimed, with the average pension pot valued at £13,000. But it seems the problem is not exclusive to private pensions.[1]

A new report has revealed that 250,000 State pensions have gone missing, leaving people without a monthly income to which they are entitled.

Financial consultancy Lane, Clark & Peacock (LCP) claims said there were 8.78 million people in the UK aged 70 or over, but only 8.53 million are receiving a state pension. This breaks down to around 97,000 men and 155,000 women.

Under state pension rules, all over-80s can claim a pension of £82.45 a week regardless of their National Insurance contribution levels – but 107,000 are getting nothing.

This means that around £400 million has gone unclaimed every year, affecting 65,000 women and 42,000 men.

There are a handful of reasons that some of the people identified in this study might not be receiving their State pension.

Some will have deferred their payments. The attraction of doing so, for those who don’t need the income yet – perhaps if they are still working – is that the State Pension payment increases by the equivalent of 1% for every nine weeks you defer. This works out as just under 5.8% for every 52 weeks. So by deferring for those 52 weeks, you’ll get an extra £10.42 a week (just under 5.8% of £179.60).

Equally, the amount of State pension paid depends on how many years of National Insurance individuals have paid. You need at least 10 years to qualify.

There’s also a small number of people that claim certain disability benefits or carers benefits past pension age which can reduce or eliminate their entitlement to a pension. However, the report points out that these reasons only explain a fraction of the ‘missing’ 250,00 pensioners.

“Retirement planning is key to make sure you have enough money for the lifestyle you want.”

LCP’s report is calling for a Government-led campaign to raise awareness to reunite people with their State pension, and ensure people claim what’s rightfully theirs. This could include local authorities and health services who deal with the over 80s making sure that they are taking up their entitlement to a State pension. Or even an automatic payment – at the moment the State pension still needs to be claimed, it doesn’t just start paying out.

Steve Webb, former pensions minister and partner at LCP said: “The Government needs to do much more to identify those who are on zero state pensions and to make sure that they draw the pension to which they are entitled”.

This is not the first time that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been in the spotlight for problems with State pension payments. One high profile case has been the £3 billion underpayment of pensions to around 200,00 elderly, widowed and divorced women[2].

The DWP has admitted fault and more than 74,000 married women are due a windfall of as much as £23,000, and widowed retired women will receive an average payment of £17,000.

Time to take action

It’s important to check with the DWP if you are being paid the correct amount.

Anyone that thinks they may be eligible to receive a State pension can find out how to apply at www.gov.uk.

For further information about over-80 state pension eligibility, you can visit www.gov.uk/over-80-pension/eligibility.

A State pension is of course just one element of the wider financial picture when it comes to retirement as it cannot be relied upon alone.Retirement planning is key to make sure you have enough money for the lifestyle you want.

A financial adviser can help provide the right path to financial security.

PROVIDING NEWS AND VIEWS TO SUIT ALL NEEDS

This Blog is published and provided for informational purposes only. The information in the Blog constitutes the author’s own opinions. None of the information contained in the Blog constitutes a recommendation that any particular investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.

Tavistock Partners Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tavistock Partners (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tavistock Private Client Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Tavistock Partnership Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Abacus Associates Financial Services is a trading style of Tavistock Partners (UK) Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Duchy Independent Financial Advisers is a trading style of Tavistock Partners Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, All subsidiaries are wholly owned by Tavistock Investments Plc.

Pension Drawdown Explained

Pension Drawdown Explained

PENSION DRAWDOWN EXPLAINED

08

JUNE, 2021

If you need regular income throughout your retirement, pension drawdown could provide this by using your own pension pot. Is this the answer for your retirement needs?

Pension drawdown has become a popular way of funding retirement. Pension drawdown can provide a regular income by reinvesting your pension pot into funds that are specifically and strategically designed and managed for this purpose.

Pension drawdown occurs when a client continues to keep their pension fund invested whilst simultaneously withdrawing money from it, with the aim of providing a regular income derived from your own pension fund.

So, how does it work?

Once you reach retirement, you can leave your pension fully invested with your provider, but you also then have the option to take out what is referred to as a ‘drawdown’. You can choose to take up to a quarter of your pension pot tax-free, which can be taken as regular payments or as a lump sum. Any withdrawals taken after the tax-free portion has been exhausted will be taxed as income.

Your drawdown fund can be invested in funds that you will have approved and agreed to with your financial adviser. The money you invest may continue to grow, however be aware there is also the risk that your investments may underperform due to unexpected poor market conditions. If you take too much out of your pension at an early stage, your investments could suffer, and you may not be left with enough money to live on. It is important to be aware that there are also charges involved with withdrawing funds, which can prove to be expensive.

If you take too much out of your pension at an early stage, your investments could suffer, and you may not be left with enough money to live on. It is important to be aware that there are also charges involved with withdrawing funds, which can prove to be expensive.

“Current UK Government rules have become more flexible than they used to be.”

What are the rules?

Current UK Government rules have become more flexible than they used to be. No limits are put on how much money you can withdraw from your pension savings and drawdowns are designed to suit you and your needs. However, there will be taxation implications which you should discuss with your financial adviser.

Example:

A client could withdraw it all at once, take monthly payments to mirror an income, withdraw an annual ‘salary’, or dip into their fund as and when they need to.

Although, this may seem like and great way to invest, it may not be the right option for you. You could end up paying unnecessary tax. You could run out of money if they drawdown too much too quickly.

If you would like to discuss and learn more about pension drawdown, talk to your financial adviser today.

PROVIDING NEWS AND VIEWS TO SUIT ALL NEEDS

This Blog is published and provided for informational purposes only. The information in the Blog constitutes the author’s own opinions. None of the information contained in the Blog constitutes a recommendation that any particular investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.

Tavistock Partners Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tavistock Partners (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tavistock Private Client Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Tavistock Partnership Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Abacus Associates Financial Services is a trading style of Tavistock Partners (UK) Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Duchy Independent Financial Advisers is a trading style of Tavistock Partners Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, All subsidiaries are wholly owned by Tavistock Investments Plc.

Changing priorities for pensions

Changing priorities for pensions

CHANGING PRIORITIES FOR PENSIONS

13

MAY, 2021

Pensions

Over the years there have been many recommendations on the best route to take for your pension with a common perception that everyone should start young, to benefit from compound interest. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) may have changed this thought process. In a recent survey the IFS has called the government to nudge people to save more into pensions once their children have left home.

Pension savers are being encouraged to increase their contributions at different stages of life as their disposable income grows, typically because of pay rises, children leaving home and debts being paid off. Reinforcing this contention, current automatic enrolment into workplace pensions does not encourage contribution rates that increase with age.

The IFS research found that for a ‘typical’ graduate, with two children, their modelling indicates that the pension holders’ contributions should increase from around 5% of pay before the children leave home, to between 15 and 25% of salary once they do. This would result in increasing their pension contributions up to two thirds after the age of 45.

“Pension savers are being encouraged to increase their contributions at different stages of life as their disposable income grows”

The research encourages policy makers to take these emerging life cycle changes into consideration when it comes to pension contributions, focusing more on the effects of evolving lifestyle changes and their impact on personal financial life.

Alex Beer, Welfare Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation said:

“This important analysis demonstrates how people’s ability to save can change as they age, as their earnings grow, and as their family circumstances change. Policies to optimise pensions saving might therefore take a more holistic view of saving across the life course, to consider when and how to capitalise on opportunities to change the rate at which people save.”

Contact us for a consultation with one of our highly qualified financial advisers.

Source: https://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/15422 

PROVIDING NEWS AND VIEWS TO SUIT ALL NEEDS

This Blog is published and provided for informational purposes only. The information in the Blog constitutes the author’s own opinions. None of the information contained in the Blog constitutes a recommendation that any particular investment strategy is suitable for any specific person.

Tavistock Partners Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tavistock Partners (UK) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Tavistock Private Client Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The Tavistock Partnership Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Abacus Associates Financial Services is a trading style of Tavistock Partners (UK) Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Duchy Independent Financial Advisers is a trading style of Tavistock Partners Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, All subsidiaries are wholly owned by Tavistock Investments Plc.

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