A single-tier pension: what does it really mean? - The Institute For ...

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Long-run effect on pensioner incomes Figure 5.5. State pension income and pension credit eligibility Weekly state pension income (£; 2013–14 earnings terms) Weekly state pension income (£; 2013–14 earnings terms) 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 A. Income at SPA 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 Years of contributions B. Income at age 80 Single-tier pension Current system: low earner, at SPA SC upper threshold: at SPA SC lower threshold: at SPA Pension credit guarantee 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 Years of contributions Single-tier pension Current system: low earner, at age 80 SC upper threshold: at age 80 SC lower threshold: at age 80 Pension credit guarantee Note: These graphs are for someone contracted in, aged 16 in 2002–03, and who is an employee continuously from 2002–03, so someone with 10 years of contributions here is assumed to start work in the 2002–03 tax year and stop in 2012–13. The low earner is assumed to earn between the LEL and the LET in every year they are in work (or, equivalently, is engaged in some form of S2P-creditable activity). The level of the BSP is assumed to increase with the triple lock until April 2015 and then with average earnings growth thereafter, whereas the value of the single-tier pension is assumed to be £146.30 in 2013–14 earnings terms and uprated with average earnings growth after 2016. The pension credit guarantee credit level is uprated with average earnings growth and the maximum pension credit savings credit award is frozen in nominal terms, meaning that the lower and upper thresholds converge with one another. Source: Authors’ calculations. To illustrate the impact of the abolition of PCSC and how it interacts with the introduction of the single-tier pension more clearly, Box 5.2 returns to the example of James and Box 5.3 returns to the example of Zach, both from Box 5.1. 59
A single-tier pension: what does it really mean? Box 5.2. Effect of the single-tier pension and abolition of pension credit savings credit on James’s income in retirement The following example describes a hypothetical individual, James, born in 1986. As described in Box 5.1, he accrues 45 years of credits to the BSP (or the single-tier pension) through self-employment. Under the current pension system, James’s state pension income at SPA will be £109 per week. James has saved into a private pension and he expects to receive £25 a week of income from these savings. James receives £7 of PCGC and £2 of PCSC. For every additional £1 of private saving, he has £1 of PCGC withdrawn, but he gets an extra 60p of PCSC, giving him some incentive to save privately. Under the single-tier pension system, James’s state pension income at SPA would instead be £146.30, and his private pension income would take him well above the PCGC level. He would receive no top-up to his income from the PCGC (the PCSC would no longer exist). His marginal incentive to save into a private pension would therefore be improved: instead of 60p of extra income from each extra £1 of saved income, James would expect to keep all of the additional income. (However, the higher level of state pension income he expects to get under the single-tier system may decrease his incentive to save privately.) Box 5.3. Effect of the single-tier pension on Zach’s income in retirement The following example describes a hypothetical individual, Zach, born in 1986. As described in Box 5.1, he accrues 30 years of credits to the BSP and S2P (or the single-tier pension) through earnings. Under the current pension system, Zach’s state pension income at SPA will be £156.80 per week, taking him just over the maximum income threshold for PCSC eligibility. He will therefore expect to keep any income he receives from his private pension saving – none of it will be withdrawn through means-tested benefits. Under the single-tier pension system, as Zach has only 30 years of entitlement, his single-tier pension entitlement of £125.40 will fall below the level of the PCGC. He will have his income topped up by the government to the PCGC level of £141.10. However, for each £1 of income that he receives from his private savings, he will face the withdrawal of £1 of his PCGC entitlement. He therefore will have no incentive to save privately for retirement. The above discussion implicitly assumes that all those who would be eligible for PC would take it up. In reality, take-up is not 100%; DWP estimates that, although in 2009–10 between 73% and 80% of those eligible for pension credit guarantee credit actually claimed it, only 43–48% of those eligible for the savings credit claimed it. 65 For individuals who might qualify for PCSC but do not intend to take 65 Department for Work and Pensions, 2013f. 60
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A single-tier pension: what does it
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Published by The Institute for Fisc
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Contents Executive Summary 1 1. Int
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1. Introduction In a White Paper pu
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Page 75 and 76: 7. Conclusions Pensions Bill 2013-1
Page 77 and 78: References Attanasio, O. and Rohwed
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