People’s Pensions
People’s Pensions is the podcast that discusses how to improve pensions for people across the UK. In each episode, Phil Brown is joined by experts from inside and outside the industry to look at some of the big issues in pensions and discuss how to ensure people have enough to live on once they finish working.
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Some people think pensions are confusing.
Some don’t even want to think about them at all.
But when you stop working, pensions become very interesting.
Phil Brown has been talking about pensions for over 30 years. He thinks pensions should be straightforward and accessible.
In this podcast he and his guests explain how the pensions world is changing.
Episodes
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
The UK pensions industry needs a comprehensive review to meet the needs of people currently in work – that’s the view of the Institute of Fiscal Studies. The IFS has just published a report which says that while current pensioners are doing better than ever before, the future for generations to come is not so rosy.
Many workers are saving little for retirement - particularly those in self-employment. And there are worries about the future cost of rented housing.
They say it’s time for policy makers to take a fresh look at the system. Phil Brown catches up with one of the report's authors, Jonathan Cribb – Head of Retirement, Savings and Ageing at the IFS.
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Recent research suggests 9 in 10 of us have experienced malicious attempts to get hold of our pensions savings.
Today Phil Brown is joined by Dr Rick Muir, who helped the People’s Partnership with research into the problem - and Margret Snowdon, Chair of the Pension Scams Industry Group.
So, is scamming getting worse? And what are the implications for legitimate pensions providers who use incentives to encourage customers to transfer their money?
Thursday Mar 16, 2023
Thursday Mar 16, 2023
The Chancellor’s announcements on pensions in the Spring Budget have been branded as the ‘Most critical changes to pensions in a decade’. The big surprise was Jeremy Hunt’s move to scrap the lifetime allowance on pension pots in a bid to stem the wave of early retirement – but is it the right move?
And could the introduction of 30 free hours of childcare for children from 9 months help reduce the Gender Pensions Gap?
Phil takes a look at the impact the Spring Budget could have on savers with the help of Lauren Wilkinson from the Pensions Policy Institute and Simoney Kyriakou from the FT Adviser.
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
Wednesday Mar 08, 2023
To mark International Women’s Day we’re putting the gender pension gap under the microscope.
The gender pensions gap – the inequality between men and women’s pensions – is more than double the size of the total gender pay gap, with the average female pensioner £7,000 a year poorer than her male counterpart.
Pensions journalist Sara Benwell and Sarah Luheshi from the Pensions Policy Institute join Phil Brown to explore why that pensions gap is so big and what can be done to close it.
Monday Feb 27, 2023
Monday Feb 27, 2023
It was one of the most significant changes in the pensions landscape.
In 2012 the government brought in auto enrolment, aiming to get more people to save for retirement.And it worked.
10 years on, more than 10 million people have started saving.
But can the system be improved? Phil Brown talks to Baroness Jeannie Drake - one of the architects of the scheme.
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Monday Jan 30, 2023
That was the year that was. 2022 saw a huge number of changes to the pensions landscape.
We saw a move towards the Pensions Dashboard, allowing people to see what they have in their various pensions in a single place online. There’s the Value for Money initiative which aims to make it easier for savers to compare different schemes.
But that’s just for starters. Phil Brown and pundit Tom McPhail help you catch up on a turbulent year of change.
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Millions more people are putting money into a pension since the start of auto-enrolment – that’s the good news. The bad news is that many people aren’t saving enough to give them the retirement they want.
People’s Partnership research shows that more than half of savers are failing to meet pensions targets. So, what’s the answer? Phil Brown tracked down Stephen Timms MP - chair of the Work and Pensions Committee.
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Monday Jan 30, 2023
Ask most people about their pensions and you might get a blank look. Pensions can be complicated, especially for those who move between jobs.
2022 saw the first ever pensions engagement season, a campaign to explain and educate savers so that they can make informed decisions about their retirement income. This year the campaign continues.
Phil Brown finds out how pension providers should approach the issue.