Briefing Notes

Briefing Note 56 - What could the Coalition Government mean for pensions policy?

The general election of May 2010 resulted in a Coalition Government formed by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties. Both parties made pre-election manifesto promises relating to pensions and older people, and the Coalition Government has now produced a Coalition Agreement, specifying which policies they have agreed to take forward.

This Briefing Note summarises Coalition Government policies on pensions and older people, and highlights what impact the new Coalition may have on pensions policy and provision for retirement. It discusses topics including the State Pension indexation, public sector pensions, default retirement age, long-term care, tax relief, early access to pension savings and automatic enrolment. It finds that  as a result of the new Coalition Government we might expect some people to see greater freedoms and flexibilities in future around accessing pension wealth both in the run up to and during retirement.