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STEVE WEBB on the lessons This is Money readers could teach Pensions Ministers...
Has your pension question been answered? Read Steve Webb's replies Most popular Steve Webb columns on the state pension By Steve Webb for This Is Money Updated: 06:00 BST, 18 September 2024 e-mail View comments 'I think it should be compulsory for every Pensions Minister to read through my This is Money inbox every week,' says Steve Webb - who held this office himself for five years I think it should be compulsory for every Pensions Minister to read through my This is Money inbox every week to get a better understanding of the aspects of the pension system which confuse, anger and frustrate people. The messages I receive from readers give me a great insight into what is on the mind of the public when it comes to pensions, as I explained in my 'behind the scenes' look at how I write my column. In the last eight years of answering reader questions I've seen some topics come and go but many which feature week in, week out.
From these I've come up with an 'agenda for change' for government and the pensions industry which would, in my view, make for a better system. Here are the four things I wish they would strive to do for people. Organise the system around the person, and not the other way round All too often, big bureaucracies force people to jump through hoops rather than have a single point of contact who can take ownership and resolve your problem.
The classic example of this is where someone has an error on their National Insurance record – perhaps missing credits for time at home with children. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Most popular Steve Webb columns on the state pension: The 15..
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. Share this article Share HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to choose the best (and cheapest) DIY investing Isa - and our pick of the platforms First you are in a queue with HMRC to get credits added to your account. Then you have to wait for someone at DWP to get round to updating your pension, possibly months later.
Why couldn't one person do the whole thing in one go? Keep it simple Every piece of communication on pensions should be tested on people who don't 'speak the jargon' of pensions. Sometimes readers send me paperwork that they have received which I struggle to understand, so I have no idea how a lay person with a busy life is meant to make sense of it. This applies equally to the Government as to the pensions industry.
Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb: Scroll down to find out how to contact him Improve customer service This may seem obvious, but just getting the basics right would hugely improve the experience of the public when dealing with the industry or government departments. This includes things like the following. - If a call back or a letter is promised, make sure someone knows the promise has been made and delivers on it.
- Keep people informed. Most people would be prepared to wait if they knew something was happening. What drives them mad is when their letters and messages just go 'into the void' and they don't know if anyone is actually progressing it or not.
- Make sure that frontline staff are properly trained. Too often, problems arise because people are given inaccurate information on the phone, and this could be avoided if being a frontline call handler was actually given the respect – and the pay – that it deserves Don't keep changing things A lot of my post (especially at the moment) comes when people are fearful about how the system may change in future or when they are trying to understand a new system. Whilst there are always aspects of the system that need reform, pensions should be a long-term business.
Although a new Government will inevitably want to do things differently, some sense of a long-term vision which they then stick to, would provide some welcome stability. To sum up, I believe the basic idea of a pension – setting some money aside now so that you have something for later – should not be as difficult as it is. Only when Government and pension providers start with the individual and work out from there will we have a pension system that is fit for purpose.
Ask Steve Webb a pension question Former Pensions Minister Steve Webb is This Is Money's agony uncle. He is ready to answer your questions, whether you are still saving, in the process of stopping work, or juggling your finances in retirement. Steve left the Department for Work and Pensions after the May 2015 election.
He is now a partner at actuary and consulting firm Lane Clark & Peacock. If you would like to ask Steve a question about pensions, please email him at [email protected].
uk . Steve will do his best to reply to your message in a forthcoming column, but he won't be able to answer everyone or correspond privately with readers. Nothing in his replies constitutes regulated financial advice.
Published questions are sometimes edited for brevity or other reasons. Please include a daytime contact number with your message - this will be kept confidential and not used for marketing purposes. If Steve is unable to answer your question, you can also contact MoneyHelper, a Government-backed organisation which gives free assistance on pensions to the public.
It can be found here and its number is 0800 011 3797. Stev e receives many questions about state pension forecasts and COPE – the Contracted Out Pension Equivalent. If you are writing to Steve on this topic, he responds to a typical reader question about COPE and the state pension here.
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