3 ONE Behaviour, choice, and British pension policy Gordon L. Clark Introduction Twenty years ago, the British pension system relied upon three separate but interrelated pillars – the Basic State Pension (BSP), occupational pensions, and personal saving and investment. If praised for its resilience, more recently the system is believed by many to be unable to deliver on its (collective) promise; some commentators believe the UK pension system is not fit for purpose. Rising real incomes, combined with higher levels of income inequality have, in effect
55 Policy & Politics vol 33 no 1 • 55–74 (2005) Trust in UK pensions policy Key words: pensions • trust • consumer • policy Trust in UK pensions policy: a different approach? Patrick John Ring Final submission 20 May 04 • Acceptance 09 June 04 © The Policy Press, 2005 • ISSN 0305 5736 English This article discusses the nature of trust and its importance for pensions policy. Trust in the financial services sector has suffered in the face of a ‘pensions crisis’. Government’s response focuses on ‘empowering’ consumers through education, information and pensions
97 British pension policy SEVEN British pension policy: a gender perspective on alternative rescue plans Few outside government deny that the British pension system is now in crisis, although the exact nature of that crisis is variously defined and gender issues are rarely considered. Critical assessments of current policy abound in the evidence submitted to the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s inquiry (Work and Pensions Committee, 2002), from pension providers and advisers (over 25 submissions), trades unions including the TUC (10), employer organisations
299© The Policy Press • 2007 • ISSN 0962 7898 Benefits • vol 15 • no 3 • 2007 • 299-311 ar tic le 7 Pension policy in EU25 and its impact on pension benefits Asghar Zaidi and Aaron George Grech This article provides a brief summary of the most recent changes in public pension policies in the countries of the European Union and describes how they affect pension benefits for future pensioners. The pension systems in Europe have been changing fast. The common trends are that the generosity of public pension benefits is on the decline, the changes are likely to
127 Policy & Politics vol 36 no 1 • 127–44 (2008) © The Policy Press, 2008 • ISSN 0305 5736 Key words: pension reforms • new institutionalism • East Asia • business Final submission December 2006 • Acceptance October 2007 Pension policy and politics in East Asia Young Jun Choi This research aims to analyse recent pension reforms in South Korea and Taiwan, newly emerging welfare states in East Asia, using new institutional approaches and to test their explanatory power. This article introduces a theoretical review of new institutionalism and accordingly
213 FOURTEEN Public–private partnerships in pensions policies Sue Ward Introduction [The government’s approach involves a] new public–private partnership building on the best features of state and private provision … the share of national income devoted to pensions will increase, but a higher proportion will come from private, funded pensions.… Currently, about 60% of pension income is accounted for by the State and 40% by the private sector. As a result of the reforms set out in this Green Paper, the State’s share is expected to fall to around 40% by 2050
also allow a deeper look into how arguments about feasibility and affordability (Kingdon 1995 ) are used for solution definition. Argumentative coupling can thus illuminate how solutions are defined, and the ground for final couplings is prepared. Empirically, the chapter draws on the case of German pension policy, which is revelatory with regard to solution definition. It has been well researched how the German pay-as-you-go pension system came under pressure with demographic change and population ageing, and how those problems were linked to the retrenching of
Drawing together a mix of internationally renown contributors, Social Policy Review 28 provides an up-to-date and diverse review of the best in social policy scholarship.
With specially commissioned reviews of pensions, health care, conditionality and housing this book examines important debates in the field. A themed section on personalised budgets examines the introduction and consequences of personalisation of funding from the perspectives of the UK, Australia and Norway and considers the impact of such funding on vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the homeless.
Published in association with the SPA this comprehensive discussion and analysis of the current state of social policy will be of keen interest to academics and students.
We are all approaching retirement but what should we expect? For some, it is a happy prospect. Others approach retirement knowing they face hardship and social exclusion. Amid alarming predictions of a ‘demographic time bomb’, governments and the private pensions industry urge everyone to plan and save now, but admit that there are risks.
But will the pension funds deliver on their promises? Will the rich increasingly retire early but the poor work for longer? How reliable are state pension schemes? Do the USA, Sweden, or Australia have a ‘better’ approach to retirement pensions than the UK?
Approaching retirement tackles these and many other questions from a number of sociological perspectives. Using the idea of the social division of welfare as a template, different approaches to retirement pensions policy are assessed and their strengths and weaknesses clearly presented.
This book will be an invaluable resource for social science students at all levels and for those who teach them. Economists and pension practitioners will also find food for thought here.
An emerging consensus sees British pension policy as unravelling. Yet the gender impact of expanding private pension provision and relying increasingly on means-testing has been largely overlooked.
This book examines key issues such as: how pension choices over the lifecourse are structured by gender, class and ethnicity; the impact of changing patterns of partnership and parenthood on pension building; the distributional impact of privatising pensions; questions about individualisation of rights, survivor benefits, a citizen’s pension and means-testing; the EU dimension - comparing alternative strategies for improving gender equity.
The book is essential reading for teachers, researchers and students in social gerontology, sociology, social policy and women’s studies; practitioners in social work and welfare rights; policy makers concerned with income in later life; and all those who wish to improve their understanding of pensions issues.
