Three wishes to solve 危機

By JEFF PRESTRIDGE FOR THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
Updated: 00:00 BST, 15 December 2002

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THE country is 星／主役にするing at a 年金s 大災害. Company 計画／陰謀s are 存在 axed, betraying thousands of 労働者s who now 直面する a 荒涼とした 退職. The 政府's Green Paper on 年金s will be published on Tuesday. Here, 財政上の Mail brings together a パネル盤 of 専門家s - and 犠牲者s - to pinpoint three 決定的な steps to end the 危機.

Wish 1: End this 勝利，勝つd-up 悲惨

URGENT 活動／戦闘 to end the anguish of 年金 計画／陰謀 勝利，勝つd-ups is 最高の，を越す of our パネル盤's 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）. For the past ten months, 財政上の Mail has 最高潮の場面d the 悲惨 勝利，勝つd-ups have brought.

When a company goes into liquidation, its 年金 計画／陰謀 is automatically put into 勝利，勝つd-up - 効果的に resulting in the 年金 基金 存在 解散するd. Though the 法律 means that 年金s already 存在 paid are 保護（する）／緊急輸入制限d, there is no 同等（の） 保護 for 労働者s who have yet to retire.

They will receive much-減ずるd 年金s based on what is left in the 基金 after the （人命などを）奪う，主張するs of 現在の pensioners have been met.

In 最近の months, high profile 勝利，勝つd-ups at steel 製造業者 ASW and 部隊d 工学 Forgings have 最高潮の場面d the 不正 of these 支配するs. Long-serving 労働者s who are の近くに to 退職 are 存在 told that they will receive いっそう少なく than half the 年金 they are する権利を与えるd to based on their length of service and final salary.

Andy Holden and fellow 労働者s at BF Entron are all 犠牲者s of a 計画／陰謀 勝利，勝つd-up. They belonged to the final salary 計画／陰謀 at British 連邦の, a ロボット工学 welding company in Dudley, West Midlands, which went into receivership last May, 誘発する／引き起こすing the (a)自動的な／(n)自動拳銃 勝利，勝つd-up of the 基金.

Though the electronics 分割 of the 商売／仕事 was bought in August by Entron 支配（する）／統制するs of America and Andy's 職業 as sales 経営者／支配人 was 保護（する）／緊急輸入制限d, he is angry that he has lost a big chunk of his 年金.

Andy, 53, from Codsall, Staffordshire, who is married to 告訴する, 52, says: '告訴する is a 十分な-time housewife, so my work 年金 was to have been the 財政上の 主要な支え of our 退職. I worked for British 連邦の for 33 years and 与える／捧げるd to the company 計画／陰謀 on the unde rstanding that I was 蓄積するing a 年金 同等（の） to a sixtieth of my final salary for every year that I worked.

'If I had worked through to 退職, I would have been able to retire on a 最大限 年金 同等（の） to two-thirds of my final salary. I 与える／捧げるd into the 計画／陰謀 because I believed the literature I was given, which talked about my 権利 to a 保証（人）d 年金.

'But now, I don't know what my 年金 will be 価値（がある）. Alexander Forbes, the 独立した・無所属 trustees 監督するing the winding-up, have told us that it will take a 最小限 of three years for it to be sorted out. I feel as if I have been robbed. With a 赤字 on the 計画／陰謀 of £2m and Alexander Forbes 非難する £200 an hour for its services, I dread to think how little will be left for me once the 計画／陰謀 has finally been 負傷させる up.'

Worryingly, Andy is so disenchanted that he is 辞退するing to 与える／捧げる to the stakeholder 年金 計画／陰謀 申し込む／申し出d by Entron. 'My 約束 in 年金s has been 粉砕するd to bits,' he says. 'I don't believe a word anyone tells me about them.'

Andy's 見解（をとる） - and it is one echoed by all his fellow 労働者s - is that the 支配するs 治める／統治するing 勝利，勝つd-ups should be 強化するd. It is a 見解（をとる） 株d by nearly all our 討論者／講師s. Malcolm McLean, 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある of the Occupational 年金s （a）忠告の／（n）警報 Service, would like to see a 相互の 保険 計画／陰謀 始める，決める up to 保証（人） 年金s in the event of an 雇用者's insolvency, such as happened to Andy Holden. The 計画／陰謀 would be 基金d by the 年金s 産業. It is an idea supported by 年金s 専門家 Ros Altmann.

'労働者s have been hoodwinked into thinking that the best thing they could do was 与える／捧げる loyally and 定期的に to their 雇用者's 年金 計画／陰謀,' she says. 'No one gave them any 警告 that they could lose the lot. In fact, what they were 現実に encouraged or 軍隊d to do has been the 同等（の） of betting all their 貯金 - and their 職業 - on one 株 in the 株式市場. No 財政上の 助言者 would ever recommend anyone to do that and, if he did, he would have to 補償する them if they lost their money.

'効果的に, putting 出資／貢献s into a 私的な 部門 雇用者's '保証（人）d' 年金 計画／陰謀, with a '約束' of two-thirds final salary, is no safer than putting all your money into the 株 of that company. If the company goes 破産した／（警察が）手入れする, you could lose the lot. There is no 保護 unless you have already retired. The 政府 has got to change the 法律 on this and a 相互の 保険 計画／陰謀 is the answer.'

Andrew Parr of the ASW Sheerness 年金s Group agrees, though he would also like to see other problems stemming from 勝利，勝つd-ups 演説（する）／住所d. Andrew, from Sheerness, Kent, has lost his 職業 because of ASW's 急落（する），激減（する） into 行政 this year. The ASW 年金 計画／陰謀 he belongs to has also been put into 勝利，勝つd-up.

One final point on 勝利，勝つd-ups: in 最近の months, there has been a worrying move by a number of solvent companies to 勝利，勝つd-up their 年金 計画／陰謀s. Companies that have taken this path 含む Caparo Group owned by 労働-supporting peer Lord Paul, shipping 巨大（な） Maersk, enginering consultancy Blyth & Blyth and American 請負業者 Parsons Group. 専門家s say that healthy companies should not be 許すd to walk away from 労働者s' 年金s so easily.

McLean says: 'Solvent 雇用者s that choo se to 勝利，勝つd up their 年金 計画／陰謀s should be 要求するd to 会合，会う in 十分な the 年金 that members have 蓄積するd to date.'

It is a 見解（をとる） supported by Darryl Mansfield, former managing trustee of the Sea-Land Services' 年金 計画／陰謀, recently put into 勝利，勝つd-up by Maersk after it took over the company in 1999. Darryl, 37, from Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, worked for Sea-Land for more than eight years as the company's 財政上の 監査役. Because of the 計画／陰謀's 勝利，勝つd-up, he 推定する／予想するs to receive only 40% of his 年金.

Along with some former 同僚s, Darryl has 登録（する）d （民事の）告訴s with Maersk, the 計画／陰謀's trustees and the 年金s ombudsman. Darryl says: 'No solvent 雇用者 should be 許すd to 勝利，勝つd up a final salary 計画／陰謀 without 確実にするing that all members' 利益s - be they 現在の, deferred or pensioners - are 安全な・保証するd.'

Wish 2: Kep it simple

FINANCIAL Mail's 討論者／講師s are 部隊d in their 見解（をとる） that the 年金s system - both 明言する／公表する and 私的な - is too 複雑にするd and 阻止するs people from saving for 退職. Simplification should be a 優先.

の中で 提案s for 改革（する） are the 交替／補充 of the 現在の 明言する／公表する system, which is built around the basic 明言する／公表する 年金, the 明言する／公表する Second 年金 and the 明言する／公表する 収入s 関係のある 年金 (Serps). Gordon Pollock, chairman of the 協会 of 協議するing Actuaries, says: 'The 明言する／公表する 年金 is horrendously 複雑にするd and should be 簡単にするd as a 選び出す／独身 flat-率 年金 linked to 普通の／平均（する） 収入s, rather than prices.'

Altmann agrees: 'The 明言する／公表する should 供給する a 最小限 床に打ち倒す for a 年金. This could be done by 合併するing the basic 明言する／公表する 年金 with the 明言する／公表する Second 年金, or Serps. Anything above this would be up to people to 供給する for themselves.'

On 私的な 年金s, 討論者／講師s believe that there are far too many types of 計画／陰謀. The market is littered with strangely 指名するd 計画／陰謀s such as FSAVCs ( freestanding 最高の，を越す-up 年金s), Section 226 年金s, Sipps (self-投資するd personal 年金s) and self 治めるd 年金s to 指名する but a few.

Tom McPhail, 年金s 専門家 at Bristol-based 助言者 Hargreaves Lansdown, says the different types of 私的な 協定 should be 減ずるd to two simple 乗り物s. 労働者s could 与える／捧げる to a defined 利益 計画／陰謀 where their 年金 would be based on a mix of salary and number of years' service. Alternatively, they could buy into a defined 出資／貢献 計画／陰謀 where the 年金 would be based 大部分は on an individual's 基金 value at 退職. 'The 存在するing 年金s 政権 is bewildering and discourages saving,' he says. 'Rationalisation is 必須の.'

Christine Farnish, 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある of the 国家の 協会 of 年金 基金s, agrees. 'This week's Green Paper is an 適切な時期 for the 政府 to 演説（する）／住所 the endless 複雑さ that 直面するs workplace 年金s,' she says.

'簡単にするing the system would mean greater understanding, and that would 上げる 消費者 信用／信任 in 年金s.'

Wish 3: Take 活動／戦闘 now

THE 政府 has 怒り／怒るd many 年金s 専門家s by dragging its heels over 改革（する） of the 産業. 財政上の Mail's 討論者／講師s now believe that it is time for 決定的な 活動／戦闘, not mealy-mouthed words - and for all the 政党s to agree on a way ahead.

マイク Fosberry, 長，率いる of 年金s at 財政上の services group Smith & Williamson, says: 'For far too long, 年金s have been a political football in this country.

'従業員s who are saving for their 退職, which is a longterm かかわり合い, need to feel happy that they are saving in an 環境 that is not going to be changed at the whim of a new 政府.'

The last words go to the NAPF's Farnish and 自由主義の 民主党員 MP Steve Webb. Farnish says: 'We need to be looking at a 年金s 法案 to be introduced next autumn at the 最新の. We can't afford to wait any longer.'

Webb says: 'The time for Green Papers is over. If the 年金s system is to 生き残る, we need 緊急の 活動／戦闘 now.'