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Written Question
Occupational Pensions
Tuesday 14th February 2017

Asked by: Lord Evans of Rainow (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the written statement of 12 December 2016, (HCW 5339), what the planned (a) timetable and (b) content is for the Automatic Enrolment 2017 Review.

Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford

On 12 December 2016, I set out the scope of the 2017 review of automatic enrolment. On 8 February 2017 I set out further detail on the review, including its terms of reference and the membership of the external advisory group.

Through the review we will be seeking to build on the success of automatic enrolment to date. So far over 7.1 million individuals have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension by more than 370,000 employers. The review will look at how we can ensure that automatic enrolment continues to meet the needs of individuals saving for their retirement in the future, and that the technical operation of the policy is working as intended.

It is important that we begin early conversations around the central issues covered by the review of automatic enrolment, and I recognise people are keen to engage on these. That is why on 8 February 2017 I published a set of initial questions on the main themes, including coverage, engagement and future contributions. I have invited views and evidence by 22 March 2017 to help inform our considerations. We will, of course, formally consult on any proposals that require legislative change.

As I set out in my previous statement, my Department’s work will be supported by an external advisory group.

The three co-chairs of the group are:

  • Jamie Jenkins (Head of Pensions Strategy, Standard Life), who will support the work around the theme of coverage of automatic enrolment;
  • Ruston Smith (Trustee Director at Peoples’ Pension), who will support the work around strengthening personal engagement with work place pensions, and;
  • Chris Curry (Director, Pensions Policy Institute), who will support the work which begins to develop the evidence base on future contributions.

The other members of this group are:

Carl Emmerson, Deputy Director, Institute of Fiscal Studies

Jane Vass, Head of public policy, Age UK

Neil Carberry, Director for people and skills, Confederation of British Industry

Linda Ellett, KPMG, partner – Tax and Pensions Practice

Nigel Stanley, NEST Members’ Panel, Chair

Jocelyn Blackwell, Trustee Director NOW: Pensions

Judith Hogarth, Employment and Pensions, EEF

I am delighted to be working with a team representing such a breadth of experience and expertise and look forward to the insight they will bring to help shape the review and any proposals. We will of course reach out to others as part of this review, including intermediary organisations such as employer consultants and payroll firms.

Towards the end of this year I will publish a report to Parliament.

A copy of the terms of reference and the initial questions for the review are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/expert-advisory-group-appointed-to-the-automatic-enrolment-review.