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Pension Reform Uk

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“Britain is facing the threat of mass walkouts by (millions of) public sector workers after the biggest unions announced strike ballots over pensions” (BBC News September 2011). Teachers and university lecturers are also planning to strike. Critically assess why substantial reforms are being planned for public sector pensions and the effects on the personal finances of those affected by such reforms. The difference between many tax and benefit changes the government proposes and the reforms of publics pensions is that pension reforms will take many years to come into effect completely. This essay will be examining the reasons behind the recent reforms of the public sector pensions and the effect it will have the on the personal …show more content…

Whereas with the career average pension, it is based on the employees pay throughout the whole time you have been in the job. E.g. in a 1/60th pension again, if their pay was £30,000 one year, they would build this much: 1/60th x £30,000= £500. If in the next year, their pay was £31,000, again the same calculation would be done and they would earn £516.67 of pension in that year. This happens for every year you are working until you retire. All the years will be added up and the end and that will be your pension fund. A final salary pension is much better if throughout your career you expect to get promotions and end your career on a higher salary. On the other hand career average pensions work better if you peak at your earnings potential and earn less later on in your working life. Career average earning can affect women more as if they take time off to have children they will not earn any money into their pension fund throughout this time. The 1/60th fraction that was just used in the examples above is called the ’accrual rate’; this is the fraction of pay you get as a pension. This varies from job to job depending what industry you are in within the public sector, as shown in the table below. Industry | Fraction (accrual rate) | NHS | 1/54th | Civil Service | 1/44th | Teachers | 1/60th |

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