Pension Wise
 | |
| Formation | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Government of the United Kingdom |
| Location | |
Region served | United Kingdom |
| Services | Advice and support |
| Owner | Government of the United Kingdom |
Parent organization | Money and Pensions Service |
| Affiliations | Citizens Advice,MoneyHelper |
| Website | www |
Pension Wiseis a British free and impartialpensionadvice service operated by thegovernment of the United Kingdom.Pension Wise guidance is delivered via telephone and face to face appointments or online. The service is available to people aged 50 years and over with adefined contribution pensionto help them understand what they can do with their pension pot(s).[1]
It offers guidance for people on thepensionchanges introduced in the2014 United Kingdom budget.[2]Under these changes those with adefined contribution pension schemeare no longer required to buy anannuity.Instead they are allowed to take as much or as little from their pension pot as they wish to invest or spend themselves. Oliver Wright ofThe Independentnewspaper described this change as the biggest change to pensions in nearly a century.[3]
As of 2021[update],there were more than 7.5 million visits to the Pension Wise website and more than 250,000 Pension Wise appointments.[4]In 2015, the Pension Wise website was criticised by theWork and Pensions Select Committeeas having a low take up of Pension Wise appointments.[5][6]The Equity Release Council have recommended that Pension Wise be extended to allow advice on equity release.[7]
History
[edit]Responsibility for the service was initially underHM Treasurybut moved to theDepartment for Work and Pensionsin March 2016.[8]
The cost of establishing and supporting the service in its first year was £35 million.[9]
Telephone appointments were provided throughThe Pensions Advisory Service(TPAS), which was replaced in 2019 by theMoney and Pensions Service,and face to face appointments throughCitizens Advice.Appointments are delivered by over 150 guidance specialists whose training has been accredited by theChartered Insurance Institute(CII) or the Pensions Management Institute (PMI). Pension Wise does not give specific product or provider recommendations. It also stops short of providing advice, which must still be delivered by a regulated financial adviser.
According to theFinancial Conduct Authorityin 2022, 46% of consumers who took part in their consumer survey had received guidance from Pension Wise.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Home".pensionwise.org.uk.
- ^"Pension Wise".Citizens Advice. 2015-04-06. Archived fromthe originalon 2016-01-06.Retrieved2015-10-24.
- ^Oliver Wright (20 March 2014)."Budget 2014: George Osborne unveils major pensions and savings shake-up | UK Politics | News".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-25.Retrieved2015-10-24.
- ^"Historical Performance Platform".22 March 2021.
- ^"Pension freedom guidance and advice - Work and Pensions Committee".
- ^"MPs warn of potential mis-selling scandal over new pension freedoms".The Guardian.19 October 2015.Retrieved24 October2015.
- ^"Extend Pension Wise remit to cover equity release, says trade body".Pinsent Masons.7 July 2023.
- ^"Economic Secretary to the Treasury announces next steps for Pension Wise".gov.uk. 16 September 2015.Retrieved24 October2015.
- ^Broadbeck, Sam (8 October 2015)."Pension Wise staff redeployed amid low take-up".Money Marketing.Retrieved24 October2015.
- ^https:// fca.org.uk/publication/market-studies/ms16-1-3-annex-3.pdf[bare URL PDF]
Further reading
[edit]External links
[edit]| Key people | Clare Moriarty(Chief Executive) |  |
|---|---|---|
| Organisation | ||
| Services | ||
| Partnerships | National Homelessness Advice Service | |
| In other countries | ||