The EOC Campaign

The EOC is co-ordinating a Women's Pensions Network. They are building a consensus on women's pensions that has three building blocks for reform.

The EOC want a pensions system which:

• Puts independence and equality at its heart – everyone should accrue a pension in their own right.
• Ensures women’s entitlement to the basic state pension.
• Properly recognises unpaid caring work.
• Achieves certainty and simplicity in the state pension to ensure stability, simplification and transparency in the pensions system as a whole, encouraging saving and planning for retirement.
• Closes the pensions gap between women and men in state, private and occupational pensions.

The EOC carried out a poll to find out what people thought about pensions.

The key findings:

• More people are concerned about whether they will have enough money in their retirement (70%) than about the quality of their local health services (58%) or how safe they feel in their local area (52%).
• A vast majority of people (94%) thought that women should have their own individual pension rights and not rely on their husband or partner.
• Nearly six in ten people agreed that National Insurance contributions should rise by 1% to give those caring for children or caring for others the same state pension rights as those in paid work.
• There is a large amount of confusion about the current system.  Less than one in seven knew that vast numbers miss out because they have not paid sufficient National Insurance contributions.  Over a third (37%) thought that everyone was entitled to a full basic state pension.
• A majority of people were surprised and shocked by the difference between women’s and men’s pension entitlement.  Half of women (52%) said that they were angry.

The three building blocks for reform.

A common entitlement to the basic state pension

This would recognise the ‘value’ of each person’s contribution, whether through paid work or caring for others.  It would achieve certainty and simplicity in the state pension to ensure stability, simplification and transparency in the pensions system as a whole, encouraging everyone to save and plan for retirement.  It would also deliver for those groups who are particularly under-represented in the pensions system, eg black and ethnic minority women.

Caring recognised and supported in all pension schemes

Both state and private pension arrangements need to properly recognise and reflect unpaid caring work, to ensure that the pensions system delivers for all.  They need to be flexible to take account of different working and caring patterns.  Individuals should readily have access to advice and information, whether from the private sector or the state, which would enable them to take up options that can cover periods of care and resulting changes in working patterns.

A shared responsibility to save for a second pension

We need to close the pensions gap between women and men in state, private and occupational schemes.  Building on the existing contributory principle, individuals, employers and the state should all have a responsibility for contributing to an individual’s pensions saving; parents and carers should not lose out.  Everyone who works or cares should be able to accrue pension income above the poverty threshold.  The unpaid work of parents and carers should be recognised and rewarded by state contributions to a second pension.  People in low income employment also need state contributions towards pension savings.  Employers should recognise their responsibility to pay into pensions schemes for all their employees.

You can find out more about the EOC Women's Pensions Campaign by visiting their website www.eoc.org.uk

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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