The action plan focuses on learning lessons from the PHSO’s investigation into historical communications on women’s State Pension age and sets out how DWP intends to acknowledge lessons learned in State Pension communications, with a focus on State Pension age and complaints handling.
David Brooks, Head of Policy at Broadstone, commented: "The DWP's action plan is a positive step towards ensuring people receive clearer, more personalised information about their State Pension age and any future changes. Good communication is essential, particularly given the importance of the State Pension in many people’s retirement incomes and it suggests lessons have been learned from previous changes to the State Pension age.
"The action plan is published at an interesting time for pensions policy and the State Pension, in particular. With a new Prime Minister soon to be in place and the independent State Pension age review expected to report in the near future, scrutiny is likely to intensify around the long-term affordability of the State Pension itself. An ageing population, rising State Pension costs at a time of fiscal strain and the continued commitment to the triple lock mean there will be increasing focus on whether future increases to the State Pension age should be accelerated.
"If changes are ultimately recommended, effective communication cannot be an afterthought, so it is pleasing to see policymakers getting ahead of the game and rising to the challenge. People need as much certainty and notice as possible to make informed decisions about work, retirement and long-term financial planning.
“While the State Pension provides an important foundation for retirement income, it is not on its own designed to address pensioner poverty which is where targeted support, such as Pension Credit and housing-related benefits, have a critical role to play. Ensuring communications around these benefits are effective and take-up is high will be just as important as decisions on the headline level of the State Pension itself.”
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