DWP says auto-enrolment makes pensions better
Ros comments on the latest DWP report suggesting that those auto-enrolled into pensions will have much better retirement incomes.
Record numbers of over 65s working – good news and bad news
Ros comments on latest employment figures showing record numbers of over 65s at work. This shows a social reovlution is underway, but also indicates the problems faced by those nearing retirement whose pensions have not worked out well.
Aging population is something to celebrate
Ros comments on figures from the ONS showing record numbers of older people in the population, and rising numbers of babies being born too – this is all good news and longer life expectancy means people can keep working part-time at later ages.
DWP delaying proposals for state pension reform
Ros comments on the announcement that Government proposals for reforming state pensions and increasing state pension age are being delayed from Spring 2012 to the Autumn. We do need to get the detail right, but reform is essential.
White Paper reforms meaningless without more funding
Press Release commenting on the Government’s proposed reforms of social care, highlighting that the reforms are welcome, but cannot be implemented meaningfully without reform of funding.
Means-testing pensioner benefits would be like reducing the pensions only of pensioners who've saved
Ros responds to calls for pensioner benefits to be means-tested, pointing out that this could require means-testing six million pensioners, it would risk undermining savings incentives, as well as failing many of the poorest pensioners who need the money but don’t claim.
Let's have Care ISAs to start the savings we need for care
Press Release welcoming calls from influential Tory MPs for the Government to introduce care ISAs and perhaps family care saving plans to help people prepare for care – Social Care reform will still require a care savings culture and so far there are no incentives to save for care – and indeed most people don’t realize they even need to.
Empty words won't deliver decent care
Ros comments ahead of the release of the White Paper on social care reform, pointing out that if the Paper fails to reform funding of social care, it won’t address the crisis.
Another £50bn QE will not work – why is Bank ignorning evidence that QE has failed
Ros warns that the Bank of Englands announcement of a further £50bn gilt-buying with a third round of QE will not produce growth, it will help the banks, but not the economy. The Bank seems to be ignoring the evidence that QE is damaging important areas of the economy.
Of course older workers should be better off than younger ones
Ros comments on a paper from the Institute for Fiscal Studies which shows that older generations are better off than those in their 20s and 30s, suggesting that this is something to be concerned about! Surely this is the normal way of things, young people should aspire to be better off when they reach the end of their working life, that’s a success!