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12.2 million adults still face pension poverty despite improved forecast


By Ellie Carric

Almost a third (31 per cent) of UK adults – an estimated 12.2 million people – are at risk of pension poverty in retirement, according to Scottish Widows, although this marks an improvement from 39 per cent (15.3 million people) in 2025.

The improvements from last year reflected changes to the Retirement Living Standards benchmark for a 'minimum' lifestyle, partly driven by falling energy costs over the previous 12 months


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Higher earners and private sector workers to bear the brunt of salary sacrifice changes - IFS

Higher earners and private sector workers are set to bear the brunt of the government’s planned tax changes to salary sacrifice pension contributions, analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has found

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Joanne Segars appointed as PPF chair

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that Joanne Segars OBE has been appointed as the new chair of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) for a five-year term, effective from 1 July 2026

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FCA bans and fines former Bluesky director £755,000 over pension transfer advice

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined and banned former Bluesky Wealth Management Limited sole director and joint owner, Frank Breuer, for serious misconduct relating to defined benefit (DB) pension transfer advice

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Pure DC not the ‘last word’ in pension provision despite CDC challenges – Willets

‘Pure’ defined contribution (DC) is not the “last word” in pension provision, despite collective DC being “incredibly difficult to get going”, Resolution Foundation president, Lord David Willets, has claimed

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Leeds Building Society pension scheme completes £66m buy-in with Royal London

The Leeds Building Society Staff Pension Scheme has completed a £66m buy-in with Royal London, securing the benefits of 590 members

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DB scheme funding improves in April amid continued volatility

Defined benefit (DB) pension scheme funding levels recovered in April after falls during March, according to Broadstone’s Sirius Index

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Two in five people not confident in six-month deadline to pay pensions IHT bill

Over two in five (43 per cent) UK adults are not confident the six-month deadline for paying inheritance tax (IHT) on unused pension funds will be long enough, research by Standard Life has shown
HMRC publishes pensions IHT update; final guidance not expected until spring 2027

HMRC has published further details on how the new regime for pensions and inheritance tax (IHT) will operate from April 2027, although concerns have been raised that schemes are being left with too little time to prepare
Govt urged to engage with pension schemes on future role of PPF

The government should fully and transparently engage with pension scheme stakeholders on the future role of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) amid increased fund reserves, the Society of Pension Professionals (SPP) has argued
DB funding surplus falls to £258.5bn as market volatility persists

The aggregate surplus of defined benefit (DB) pension schemes fell by £5.3bn in April to £258.5bn, according to the Pension Protection Fund's (PPF) 7800 Index

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A third of schemes 'highly likely' to use Virgin Media remedy

A third (33 per cent) of pension schemes are ‘highly likely’ to make use of the Virgin Media remedy as it becomes law in the Pension Schemes Act, a poll by Sackers has found
Fix retirement system ‘leaky bucket’ before increasing AE contributions

The ‘leaky bucket’ of inefficiencies within the UK pensions system should be fixed before increasing auto-enrolment (AE) contributions, Hymans Robertson senior DC consultant, James Smith, has suggested in a theoretical debate


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The debate between cost and value has continued to persist, as whilst increased scale has allowed providers to negotiate better fees, not all are convinced that this is delivering the best value for savers

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Many people with disabilities are unable to accumulate significant occupational or private pension savings, in part because of the difficulties to find work and the struggles they may face within the workplace. David Adams looks at what the pensions industry, employers and policymakers might do to help ensure more disabled people can enjoy a better income in retirement

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Insurance, data and the path to buyout
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Podcast: Who matters most in pensions?
In the latest Pensions Age podcast, Francesca Fabrizi speaks to Capita Pension Solutions global practice leader & chief revenue officer, Stuart Heatley, about who matters most in pensions and how to best meet their needs

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