On 6 April 2015, the government implemented the ‘freedom and choice’ reforms set out in the Taxation of Pensions Act (2014). This ground-breaking legislation allows individuals to access their pension benefits with much more flexibility than before.
A year after launch, the IFoA carried out research into initial public attitudes to these changes. In early 2022 we carried out an updated study to see whether public attitudes to the reforms had changed in the intervening six years and to assess the current state of play as to how individuals understand and manage their pensions.
Like many organisations, the IFoA remains concerned that many UK households are not saving enough for later life, are not accessing free guidance or paid-for financial advice, and remain ill-equipped to deal with the risk of running out of money in retirement.
You can also read our preliminary report which presents several key recommendations on some of the problems that still remain for pension savers.
To find out more, please contact Policy Manager Caolan Ward at caolan.ward@actuaries.org.uk
