Millions of private sector workers are set to be offered a guaranteed pension income for life under new government proposals designed to help them make the most of their retirement savings.
Over the past 30 years, most final salary pension schemes, which provide a set payout for life, have closed. Workers have instead saved into a scheme and reached retirement with a pot of money they must decide how to use.
The previous government scrapped the obligation to buy an annuity – a product offering an income for life – leaving many savers uncertain about managing their money.
New guided retirement option
The proposals outlined by the government will introduce a default option for retirees, designed to ensure that the money they have saved provides them with an income for life.
Under the guided retirement regime, people will still be able to withdraw their money or invest it elsewhere, but they will also be offered a simple option, with payments often linked to inflation.
The government said the changes would affect 17 million workers who are investing in a pension.
Auto-enrolment impact
Savings have been boosted by an auto-enrolment system, introduced in October 2012, which requires employers to put every worker aged 22 and over into a pension scheme and make a company contribution.
Workers can opt out, but nine in 10 eligible private sector workers are now making contributions into a retirement fund, up from four in 10 in 2012.
However, some retirees have struggled to know what to do with their money. The government says nearly half the pension pots accessed for the first time in 2025/26 were emptied out, leaving people at risk of outliving their savings and reliant on their state pension.
Minister and industry response
The pensions minister, Torsten Bell, said: “Private sector workers deserve a much better deal when it comes to pensions. They are doing the right thing and saving for retirement, but when they get there too many are left without a genuine pension.
“We are resurrecting proper pensions for private sector workers, guaranteeing them the option of an income that lasts throughout retirement and in many cases protection against the rising cost of living – things public sector workers take for granted.”
Pensions experts were supportive of the move but said retirees should still have the opportunity to choose how to use their funds.
Yvonne Braun, director of long-term savings policy at the Association of British Insurers, said the proposed scheme had the potential to simplify decisions about accessing pensions but it was important “that people continue to have the freedom to make their own decisions”.
Although annuities are no longer a compulsory part of retirement planning, sales have been buoyant thanks to rising returns for investors and changes to inheritance tax rules that have encouraged wealthy people to move money out of their pensions.
