The pension rule change could impact up to 20 million residents across the country, according to latest findings
Up to 20 million residents could be impacted by the change(Image: inyourArea)
A new workplace pension rule is set to be brought in next year, affecting an estimated 20million Brits.
The default decumulation duty is included in the Pension Schemes Bill, sponsored by the DWP, and amendments to which, suggested by the House of Lords, are set to be discussed by members of parliament (MPs) on April 15, reports Express.co.uk.
It would require UK trust-based defined contribution pension schemes to provide automatic, guided retirement income options for their customers.
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The legislation would mark a significant change in the way schemes supported Brits approaching the end of their working lives, requiring them to design, offer and keep under review one or more default retirement options, or help people to transfer to other arrangements that would better suit their decumulation needs, law firm Burges Salmon explained.
Decumulation is the process of spending or drawing down accumulated retirement savings and investments to create a steady income stream, usually starting at retirement.
Many scheme members are “passive or disengaged”, experts said, and “may be unlikely to make active choices about their pension at retirement”.
This can lead to poor financial decisions at retirement, like choosing “inappropriate income options”, or “failing to plan adequately for longevity”.
Geographical breakdown of potential beneficiaries of Pension Schemes Bill
A DWP impact assessment of the Pension Schemes Bill predicts that 20million people may benefit from the legislation.
The analysis added that evidence showed individuals do not shop around for pension products, and 38% of UK adults rated their knowledge of financial matters as “low”.
“Therefore, it is reasonable to assume a default decumulation product is likely to shift behaviour for many individuals,” it read.