Pension ping pong: Now government backtracks on mandation powers Politics The government has been forced to water down controversial mandation powers in the Pension Schemes Bill after prolonged uproar from the pensions industry and opposition MPs and peers. Pensions minister Torsten Bell has tried to push through the bill with a clause that gives ministers the power to force funds to invest in UK infrastructure [...]
Pension schemes need more carrot and less stick to back the UK Opinion The Pensions Bills Scheme will empower the government to tell pension schemes where to invest. But telling always ends badly.
‘Pet projects’: Tories slam pension mandation powers as Labour refuse to back down Politics The Conservatives have slammed the controversial mandation powers in the Pension Schemes Bill, after parliament swept aside the amendments put forward by the House of Lords. Labour has come a step closer to finalising the bill, after it used its government majority to stamp out more than 80 amendments put forward by the upper house, [...]
‘Ridiculous’: Torsten Bell under fire over pension schemes bill April 2, 2026 London’s pension industry is in uproar over government proposals to keep what is known as ‘backstop power’ over the precise level of investment from funds in specific UK assets. Torsten Bell, the pensions minister, has become the focus of anger at Whitehall’s attempts to exert a degree of control over where some of the biggest [...]
UK ministers to push ahead with ‘capped’ mandation powers after peers backlash March 27, 2026 Ministers are set to go toe-to-toe with the House of Lords over a plan to grant them powers to force pension funds into private assets and UK companies. Government officials said ministers would make concessions to try and get the measure through the upper house, which voted last week to remove a “reserve power” allowing [...]
Labour’s war on pensioners punishes people for doing the right thing December 3, 2025 The government wants to mandate how pension funds should invest – a clear breech of fiduciary duty that puts people’s life savings at risk, says Helen Whately and Mark Garnier Labour is waging a war on savers. This should be a big story, but it’s been drowned out in the cacophony of the Budget unravelling. [...]
Government urged to amend the Pension Schemes Bill September 24, 2025 The Association of Investment Companies, (AIC) has voiced its frustration at the incoming Pension Schemes Bill failing to include investment companies. The bill aims to strengthen pension investment by giving government powers to push schemes to invest a percentage of their portfolio in private assets. However, in the drafted legislation which is passing through the [...]
Phoenix Group: FTSE 100 giant changes name to Standard Life September 8, 2025 Pensions giant Phoenix Group is set to change its name to Standard Life as it adopts the name of the brand it acquired seven years ago. It follows widespread speculation that the board had been considering a name change. The firm stated that Standard Life was its most reputable name and that the change would [...]
Government’s pension pot raid risks leaving millions underfunded June 8, 2025 Government plans to allow companies to extract cash from final salary pension schemes have come under fire after fresh analysis found the policy could put millions of retirees’ savings at risk. The Pension Schemes Bill, introduced last week, creates new rules allowing employers to remove “surplus” cash from defined benefits (DB) pension schemes, which are [...]
Reeves’ pension review pause could be ‘hugely detrimental’ December 16, 2024 Experts have slammed the chancellor’s decision to pause a review into pensions, saying failure to act could “leave millions of people at greater risk of an income shortfall”. Rachel Reeves has reportedly shelved plans to reform pension adequacy in a bid to avoid piling more pressure on business. The Financial Times first reported that it [...]