Be pensions minister for a day!

In the run-up to the publication of the Turner Commission’s report on the future of pensions, the TUC has today launched an interactive website that poses the ’big ten’ questions that face ministers on the future of pensions.

Visitors to the site www.worksmart.org.uk/pensionsminister are given a virtual ’red box’ containing briefings on the issues and arguments for and against the choices on offer before completing questions on the reforms they would make. They will then find out how brave they have been, which lobby groups they will have pleased or upset and how persuasive they will need to be to get the Treasury to fund their pension reform package.

Questions posed to budding pensions ministers include whether the state pension age should increase, whether there should be bigger tax breaks for savers, whether a citizens’ pension should be introduced and whether there should be compulsory saving for employers and staff.

’Be pensions minister for a day’ is part of workSMART, the TUC’s world of work website, which already contains a wealth of easy-to-understand information about pensions.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: Britain desperately needs a new pensions settlement if millions of people in work today are to avoid poverty when they retire. No-one can deny that pensions policy can get very complicated, but the issues at stake come down to some very simple principles. This is why we have launched this new website. It breaks down the pensions decisions at the top of the Government’s in-tray into ten big questions, and lets people make their own decisions.

The future of pensions is far too important to be left just to experts, well-funded lobby groups or companies that make a living from providing pensions.

The questions each virtual pensions minister needs to answer are:

1) Should the state pension age increase to 67?

2) Should employers lose the right to set a retirement age?

3) Should employees have more right to work flexibly as they approach retirement?

4) Should we move to a universal/citizens’ pension?

5) Should the state pension increase to the minimum income guarantee level?

6) Should the state pension increase in line with earnings?

7) Should the state second pension be abolished?

8) Should we increase or decrease tax breaks for pensions?

9) Should employers be allowed to compel staff to join their pension scheme?

10) Should employers and employees be compelled to contribute to a pension scheme?