Making pensions fairer, more sustainable and more relevant

Cushon's Net Zero Now Pension (with carbon offsets) has reached capacity. Our default fund, with reduced carbon, remains.

To read the headlines, you might think that the government’s introduction of auto-enrolment pension schemes has been an unmitigated success: in 2019, 77% of UK employees were members of a workplace pension scheme, up from 47% in 2012, when auto-enrolment was first introduced. But if you look closer, a familiar picture emerges. Pensions remain too complex for many people to understand.

Young people, in particular, are not engaged with saving for retirement. And low earners are often left out of their employer’s pension schemes altogether or if they are in a workplace pension, they might not be benefiting from tax relief. Auto-enrolment has done a great job of getting more people into pensions, but the complexities of the system have helped to create further divisions among various groups within UK society.

Our recent research paints an all-too-familiar picture of confusion around pensions and savings, resulting in low engagement levels.

Baroness Ros Altmann said, "Cushon’s research shows we need to make it as easy as possible for everyone to start paying into a pension and once they are in, we need to get them engaged. And for me, this is about getting people to feel more connected with their pension.

A net zero now pension is helping to deal with an issue that you’re concerned about today while also building a better future for yourself and the planet. Now that’s something to be proud of!"

Download Cushon’s latest research and learn how we can make pensions fairer, more sustainable and more relevant to everyone.

Article by

NatWest Cushon