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Occupational and Group Pensions - UK

Published by: Mintel International Group Ltd.

Published: Jun. 1, 2009


Table of Contents


ISSUES IN THE MARKET

Key issues in the market

Abbreviations

MARKET IN BRIEF

Scheme size and membership

Pension contributions

Healthy rise in new insurance-administered business in 2008

IFAs boost their share of company pension distribution in 2008

Job security and satisfaction top priorities for employees - not pension

Firms continue to cut back occupational pension provision

Current economic difficulties could hinder short-term growth

Figure 1: Working age unemployment rate, 2004-09

Standard Life tops insurance-administered pension market share table

Brand communication and promotion

KEY CONSUMER RESEARCH FINDINGS

Pension product ownership

Length and value of contributions

Attitudes and behaviour towards pensions in general

Attitudes and behaviour towards workplace pensions

INTERNAL MARKET ENVIRONMENT

Key points

Job security and satisfaction top priorities for employees not pension

Figure 2: Factors considered important to employees, January 2009

Firms continue to cut back occupational pension provision

Trust-based schemes still have some advantages…

…but qualified trustees are becoming hard to find

DC contribution levels are inadequate

More employers are likely to adjust contribution levels

Some individuals are not joining a company scheme

Only a minority actively monitor their pension savings

Active management might be better left to the experts

Past mistakes have undermined faith in pensions

The 2009 budget introduces a change in pension tax rules…

A more stable pensions legislative environment is needed

The planned launch of Personal Accounts in 2012…

…and its possible impact on the pensions industry

Auto-enrolment likely to create some issues

The PPF provides protection but is expensive

Current economic difficulties raise concerns over the PPF

Pension buyout market activity likely to continue…

…but are insurers taking on too much risk?

Smaller providers could benefit from the move to fee-based remuneration

BROADER MARKET ENVIRONMENT

Key points

Life expectancy on the rise

Figure 3: Cohort life expectancy at age 60, by gender, 1981-2056

Average pensioner income drops significantly after 75

Figure 4: Average gross weekly income of pensioner units, by age, 2007/08

Old age dependency ratio rising

Figure 5: Projected size of the UK population, by age band, 2008-46

Working beyond retirement age

Figure 6: UK economic activity, by gender and age, 2002-10

Social trends and increased job mobility

Economic conditions may hinder saving rates…

…but intentions to pay into a pension have been rising

Figure 7: Intended life and pensions activity, Q3/Q4 2002- Q1/Q2 2009

Stock market’s poor performance can damage faith in pension saving

Figure 8: FTSE 100 and FTSE All-Share - daily index movements, April 2002-April 2009

Unemployment rate rises to 7.1%

Figure 9: Working age unemployment rate, 2004-09

COMPETITIVE CONTEXT

Key points

Alternatives and supplements to workplace-based pensions

Figure 10: Summary of retirement funding strategies

Pensions and pension alternatives

Personal Accounts will compete at the lower end of the market

Non-pension alternatives

ISAs

Buy-to-let property

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN THE MARKET

Figure 11: Occupational/group pensions - SWOT analysis, 2009

SCHEME SIZE AND MEMBERSHIP

Key points

Private sector occupational pension scheme membership on the decline

Figure 12: Number of private sector occupational pension schemes in the UK, by scheme size, 2003-07

Status of private and public sector schemes

Figure 13: Status of private and public sector schemes, 2007

DC schemes significantly outnumber DB schemes

Figure 14: Number of open and closed private sector single-section schemes, by benefit structure and size

band, 2007

Active occupational scheme membership

Figure 15: Number of active occupational scheme members, by sector, 1991-2007

Over three quarters of active members were contracted out in 2007

Figure 16: Active members of private sector schemes, by route to being contracted out, 2007

VALUE OF FUNDED PENSIONS

Key points

18% of pension funds held in the insurance administered sector in 2007

Figure 17: Value of assets in funded pensions, in real terms, 1997-2007

PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS

Key points

Slowdown in overall contributions in 2007

Figure 18: Contributions to private pension schemes, by scheme type - UK, 2002-07

MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST - INSURANCE-ADMINISTERED SECTOR

Key points

Rise in new business in 2008 as companies fund deficits

Figure 19: New insurance-administered occupational pension business, 2001-09(est)

In-force business reflects a decline in membership

Figure 20: Insurance-administered occupational pension business in force, 2002-07

Buyout market nearly doubles in 2008

Figure 21: New insurance-administered occupational pension business, by sub-sector, 2007 and 2008

FORECAST

Figure 22: Forecast of new insurance-administered occupational business, 2004-14

GPP MARKET SIZE

New single-premium GPP contracts rise significantly

Figure 23: New GPP business, 2002-09

In-force GPP business

Figure 24: GPPs in force, 2002-07

FORECAST

Figure 25: Forecast of new GPP business, 2004-14

FACTORS INCORPORATED

MARKET SHARE

Key points

A shuffle among the top five occupational pension providers in 2007

Figure 26: Top 20 insurance companies in the occupational pensions market, based on UK gross written

premium, 2006 and 2007

Lloyds top in the individual pension market

Figure 27: Top 20 insurance companies in the individual pensions market, based on UK gross written

premium, 2006 and 2007

Top occupational pension providers also active in group pensions

Swiss Re and Deutsche Bank buy their way in

COMPANIES AND PRODUCTS

Supply structure

Figure 28: The main participants in the occupational pensions market

Employers

Insurers

Standard Life

Prudential

AEGON

Legal & General

Canada Life

Investment management

Pension IFAs

Benefit consultants

Other professional services

BRAND COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION

Key points

Direct advertising of company pensions to consumers is rare

Pensions adspend declines by nearly 50% in the year to April 2009

Figure 29: Pension-related advertising expenditure, by sub-category, year to April 2005-09

Smaller provider adspend plummets

Figure 30: Pension-related advertising expenditure, by top ten advertisers, year to April 2005-09

Press takes up 60% of total adspend on pensions

Figure 31: Overview of media type used to advertise pensions-related products, year to April 2008 and

2009

CHANNELS TO MARKET

Key points

Most company pension business sold with advice

EBCs are active in the sale of group pensions

IFAs boost their share of new occupational pension regular premiums

Figure 32: Distribution breakdown of new insurance-administered occupational pension business - regular

premium, 2003-08

Demand for independent advice even stronger for single premiums

Figure 33: Distribution breakdown of new insurance-administered occupational pension business - single

premium, 2003-08

Over 90% of new regular- and single-premium GPP sales sold via IFAs

Figure 34: Distribution breakdown of new insurance-administered GPP business - regular and single

premium, 2003-08

THE CONSUMER - PENSION PRODUCT OWNERSHIP

Key points

Just over a third of non-retired adults are saving in a workplace pension

Figure 35: Ownership of pension products, by type, January 2009

Cross-ownership of pensions

Figure 36: Ownership of pension products and retirement savings - cross-analysis, January 2009

Age and workplace pension membership

Figure 37: Pension ownership, by age, January 2009

Wages and socio-economic status

Figure 38: Pension ownership, by socio-economic group and gross annual household income, January

2009

Pension ownership by technology and media usage

Figure 39: Type of pension owned. by daily newspaper readership, technology usage, internet usage

frequency and web usage, January 2009

THE CONSUMER - LENGTH AND VALUE OF CONTRIBUTIONS

Key points

LENGTH OF CONTRIBUTIONS

51% of workplace pension holders contributing for over ten years

Figure 40: Number of years making pension contributions, by type of pension, January 2009

The value of contributions rises over time

Figure 41: Number of years making pension contributions, by value of contributions, January 2009

Some last-minute pension saving among the 45-64s

Figure 42: Number of years making pension contributions, by age, January 2009

Income and length of contributions

Figure 43: Number of years making pension contributions, by gross annual household income, January

2009

VALUE OF CONTRIBUTIONS

One in five workplace pension savers paying in £100-199 a month

Figure 44: Monthly pension contributions, by type of pension, January 2009

Monthly contributions rise with age

Figure 45: Monthly pension contributions, by gender, age, lifestage and marital status, January 2009

Unsurprisingly wealthy contributing the most to pension pots

Figure 46: Monthly pension contributions, by socio-economic group, working status, gross annual

household income, TV region and household tenure, January 2009

Media and technology usage and the value of contributions

Figure 47: Monthly pension contributions, by daily newspaper readership, technology usage, internet

usage frequency and web usage, January 2009

APPENDIX - DEFINITIONS, INDUSTRY STRUCTURE AND LEGISLATION

Market background and definitions

Figure 48: Types of private pension provision in the UK

Definitions

Occupational schemes

Individual pensions

Group pensions

GPPs vs group stakeholder and group SIPPs

GPPs provide significant benefits for employers

Workplace pensions structure

Figure 49: Types of workplace pension, 2007

Scheme administration

Benefit structures

The role of the Pensions Regulator

The Pensions Regulator and trustees

Types of occupational scheme closure

Reforming the UK pension system

A-day pensions simplification

Other definitions

APPENDIX - THE CONSUMER: PENSION OWNERSHIP

Figure 50: Type of pension owned, by gender, age, lifestage and marital status, January 2009

Figure 51: Type of pension owned, by socio-economic group, working status, gross annual household

income, TV region and household tenure, January 2009

Figure 52: Type of pension owned. by daily newspaper readership, technology usage, internet usage

frequency and web usage, January 2009

APPENDIX - THE CONSUMER: LENGTH AND VALUE OF CONTRIBUTIONS

Figure 53: Number of years making pension contributions, by gender, age, lifestage and marital status,

January 2009

Figure 54: Number of years making pension contributions, by socio-economic group, working status,

gross annual household income, TV region and household tenure, January 2009

Figure 55: Number of years making pension contributions, by daily newspaper readership, technology

usage, internet usage frequency and web usage, January 2009

APPENDIX: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Abstract

How much will employers pay for Occupational and Group Pensions?

The UK workplace pensions industry is currently going through a very challenging transitional period. In the private sector, generous final-salary occupational pensions are quickly becoming a thing of the past as burdensome regulations and the poor economic environment are making them too expensive to run. In their place new and often existing employees are being offered less generous but cheaper to run ‘money purchase’ contract based schemes - where most of the risks and responsibility is on them, not the employer.

Key issues in the market

  • The recession has accelerated the decline in final salary scheme pension provision in the UK.
  • Contract based defined contribution GPP schemes have become more popular but employers continue to scale back their level of contributions.
  • An increase in the number of firms going into administration has raised concerns over the strength of the Pension Protection Fund.
  • The pension buy-out market has heated up during the past year as the effects of the credit crunch have made it cheaper for insurers to acquire company pension liabilities.
  • The government has worked to reform the pension system but frequent legislative changes are raising concerns over too much government manipulation.
  • Increased longevity will put a greater strain on retirement income which may force many retirees to work after reaching retirement age.
  • Personal Accounts are due to launch in 2012 and should increase pension participation in the UK but could create problems for private suppliers of workplace pensions.
  • Consumer research for this report has indicated a relatively apathetic attitude towards workplace based pension schemes - especially among the younger sections of the population.



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