Pensions UK has called for the abolition of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) administration levy following its reintroduction by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 3 July 2025. The levy, amounting to £15m on defined benefit pension schemes exceeding that threshold, had been paused for two years before being reinstated without prior notice, resulting in significant unbudgeted costs. Collected separately by The Pensions Regulator to fund the PPF’s administrative expenditure, the levy undermines earlier reforms aimed at reducing the risk-based PPF levy to zero. An independent review in 2022 deemed the levy an unnecessary complication and recommended its abolition once the PPF’s surplus was depleted. Consequently, Pensions UK is seeking an amendment to the current Pension Schemes Bill to implement this recommendation, proposing that the PPF cover its operating costs through its own fund and surplus. Zoe Alexander, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Pensions UK, has highlighted the procedural failure in the levy’s reintroduction and urged the Government to address the issue through the Bill.

Law360: The government should abolish an administration levy for the pension compensation scheme, Pensions UK has warned, after it emerged that retirement savings plans faced an unexpected £15m bill.

Pensions UK has published a detailed report titled ‘From commitment to deployment: Scaling pension fund investment in the UK economy’, which examines how pension schemes can bolster their investments in UK growth assets. Released one year after the Mansion House Accord, the report reveals that significant challenges remain in mobilising pension capital at scale. The report finds that UK pension schemes already deploy an estimated £1 trillion domestically across gilts, equities, credit and alternatives.

On 8 July 2026, Pensions UK published a blog post examining how pension funds can translate responsible investment and net zero commitments into investment in UK infrastructure. The blog post states that although pension schemes are increasingly willing to invest in net zero infrastructure, the supply of suitable investment opportunities remains limited. It identifies several obstacles, including: a shortage of operational or sufficiently de-risked infrastructure projects, differing scheme constraints relating to governance, liquidity, scale, fees, risk appetite or internal capability, and a lack of suitable investment vehicles.

Pensions UK has submitted its response to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) consultation on Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pension schemes, calling for strong regulatory safeguards and alignment with existing frameworks. The organisation states that retirement-only CDC schemes require the same authorisation and supervision standards as whole-life CDC schemes, including a fully developed regulatory framework and robust oversight by the Pensions Regulator (TPR). Pensions UK advocates for integration with Guided Retirement requirements, the evolving Value for Money (VFM) regime, and alignment with Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) decumulation rules for contract-based schemes. The response emphasises the need for clear transfer mechanisms, shared standards for quotations and illustrations, and measures to ensure trustees remain accountable for assessing whether retirement-only CDC offers superior outcomes compared to alternative retirement solutions.

Pensions UK has called on the government to set out a clear timetable for increasing automatic enrolment pension contributions, after research found public concern about under-saving and employer support for increased minimum contributions where changes are introduced gradually.

Pensions UK has responded to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) consultation CP25/39 on adapting regulatory requirements for a changing pensions market, welcoming the proposals as a constructive step towards improving consumer outcomes but warning that they will fall short without coordinated action across the defined contribution (DC) pensions system.

Law360: The government should lower the barriers to investment faced by the UK’s £3.2 trn pensions sector if it is to secure additional funding for the economy, Pensions UK has warned.

In its response to the Pension Schemes Bill Committee call for evidence, Pensions UK broadly welcomed the Pension Schemes Bill, praising several key measures such as the introduction of the guided retirement duty, the permanent regime for defined benefit (DB) superfunds, efforts to resolve the small pots issue, the Value for Money reforms and the relaxation of DB surplus requirements. Pensions UK sees these reforms as steps toward improving saver outcomes and enhancing flexibility and innovation within the pensions sector. However, Pensions UK has also raised concerns about certain provisions that could undermine trustees’ fiduciary duty and introduce risks for savers. Specifically, it objects to the government’s reserve powers to mandate investment strategies for DC master trusts and the powers to intervene in the investment activities of LGPS pools, arguing that these powers are overly broad and potentially disruptive. Pensions UK also recommends limiting the sunset clause for DC mandation to 2032, in line with the Mansion House Accord. It also calls for clearer legislative intent regarding LGPS pools.

Pensions UK has published a report, ‘Closing the gaps: can flexible contributions make retirement savings more affordable?’, examining whether greater flexibility in automatic enrolment contribution structures could help reduce financial pressures on low-income households if minimum contributions increase in future. The report has been published as the Second Pensions Commission considers the future of pension saving through the lenses of adequacy, affordability and fairness. It finds that current contribution levels are not delivering adequate retirement outcomes for many savers, while affordability remains a significant challenge, particularly for low-income households under sustained financial pressure.

Pensions UK has issued detailed technical guidance to support the industry’s standardised shareholder vote reporting template, first developed in March 2025 in collaboration with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the industry-led Vote Reporting Group (VRG). The guidance builds on the FAQs previously released in March 2025 and provides detailed field-by-field explanations for asset managers, proxy advisers, and asset owners, clarifying data expectations, formatting, and interpretation. Pensions UK confirms that changes have been made to the template since March 2025 and urges all users to review both the updated template and the guidance in full.

Pensions UK in coordination with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has launched the fourth Pension Attention campaign, fronted by TV personality Ross Kemp and pension trainer Bola Sol, to promote pension awareness and encourage UK adults to take action on their retirement savings. The campaign responds to research showing that nearly one in five (19%) UK adults prioritise physical health over saving for later life, while only 29% of individuals have taken steps to organise their pension savings. Kemp stars in a fitness-themed advert urging the public to ‘gain pounds’ for the future, while Sol highlights the importance of tracking down old pension pots and sticking to a pension fitness plan. The campaign website offers a three-step routine to help individuals engage with their retirement savings. Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell, and campaign spokesperson Mark Smith have backed the initiative, which calls on the wider pensions industry and employers to support national pension engagement.