Pension Reform - How the Government Modifications to Pension Rules Could Affect You
On 6 April two thousand and ten, several alterations were introduced by the Dept of Work and Pensions aimed at aiding women, carers and small wage earners in retirement, but it was not good news for every person.
One of the most significant modifications is the enhanced nominal age for getting a pension. From 6th April, the minimum pension age was uplifted to age 55, affecting more than four million people who were born between Six April nineteen fifty five & the 5th April nineteen sixty who now have to wait for up to 5 yr to obtain their pension income.
The state pension age for women also began to increase from 6th April until it reaches 65 in two thousand and twenty. By 2026, it is set to rise to sixty six for everyone, until it ultimately gets to 68 in two thousand and forty six.
Other alterations include a reduction in the National Ins (NI) contributions needed to qualify for the full basic state pension, which increased from £95.25 a week to £97.65 a wk from the sixth April. Men & adult females will in the future need to accumulate up just 30 yrs of contributions, which the government predicts will set aside for an additional 40,000 adult females who get to pension age in the next tax year to provide entitlement for the full state pension.
The state second pension will also be affected by the changes and now payments within the upper earnings threshold have been reduced from twenty per cent to ten %. At some point in the future, this will be moved to a flat-rate payment rather than an earnings-related pension, and will continue to be linked to inflation, not wages.
A different credits scheme replaces the Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) scheme, which is designed to assist parents & carers to qualify for the government pension. From the 6th April, qualifying years can immediately be built up by weekly credits. These can then be added on to any paid contributions made when at work, with no limit on the credits awarded, as long as the qualifying rules are met.
For those reaching government pension age after this change takes place, each complete year of HRP, up to a maximum of 22 years, will be converted into qualifying years for the basic state pension.
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