Author Archives: Imogen Parker

The Independent View: Want an extra £140,000 in your pension without paying a penny?

By Imogen Parker | Fri 1st November 2013 - 11:02 am

This week brought welcome news for millions: Lib Dem minister Steve Webb wants to introduce a cap on pension fees.

Who cares? With 12 million people not saving enough for an adequate income in retirement, forcing charges to be capped could substantially improve the standard of living for pensioners without requiring an extra penny of their income.

The government is consulting on three different caps for workplace pensions: a 0.75 per cent cap, a 1 per cent cap, or a “comply or explain” cap, which would allow providers to charge between 0.75 and 1 per cent if they could justify doing so.

Posted in The Independent View | Tagged pensions | 20 Comments

The Independent View: Early years reform – should Clegg take another stand?

By Imogen Parker | Tue 9th July 2013 - 4:58 pm

With a childcare announcement expected imminently, early years is shaping up to be both a key battleground for the next election and a major coalition split. All agree on wanting to bring down prices for parents, while driving the quality and accessibility of childcare. So far so good. But since More Great Childcare was published at the start of the year, proposals have courted criticism, with experts questioning whether this reform package would actually jeopardise quality and push up costs.