
Why state pension age could rise again
The review opens the door for an increase in the state pension age, currently 66 and set to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046, with economic think tanks suggesting an acceleration is likely.
Research indicates that future retirees in 2050 are projected to receive £800 less per year than current pensioners, with 2 million already in poverty and numbers expected to rise.
Kendall highlighted that almost half of the working-age population is not saving for retirement, exacerbated by high housing costs, and noted a significant gender gap in private pension wealth.
The new commission will provide recommendations by 2027 on boosting retirement income, though it will not examine the triple lock, which costs £31bn annually, or the state pension age review.
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Telegraph
a few seconds ago
- Telegraph
RMT union threatens strikes if Labour raises state pension age
A rail union boss has threatened to launch national strikes if Labour raises the state pension age. Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), warned the Government he would 'lead our movement onto the streets and will not hesitate to protest nationally and take coordinated direct action'. His threat came after Labour opened the door for the statutory retirement age to be raised by announcing a new pensions review on Monday. The move, unveiled by Liz Kendall, the Work and Pensions Secretary, raises the prospect that six million Britons could be forced to delay their retirements. On Thursday, Mr Dempsey warned: 'If this Government makes any move to drastically increase the retirement age, we intend to lead our movement onto the streets and will not hesitate to protest nationally and take coordinated direct action. 'The UK state pension is already one of the worst in the entire developed world which is a direct result of decades of governments transferring both our national and personal wealth to the super rich. 'Any decision to squeeze more out of working people by forcing us to work even longer would be a national disgrace.' Instead of raising the state pension age, Mr Dempsey said the Government should impose a wealth tax on assets of over £2 million. Although the RMT is not formally affiliated to Labour, the union commands a largely public sector membership numbering around 83,000 people. Under current plans, the state pension age is on course to rise to 67 by 2028 and to 68 by 2046. However, raising the retirement age sooner than planned is politically controversial, with previous plans to do so abandoned by Jeremy Hunt, the former Chancellor, amid concerns he would struggle to justify the change. The RMT strike threat comes after Nigel Farage also backed Labour's suggestions that the state pension age must rise. The Reform UK leader said on Tuesday: 'I don't think we can really afford to [wait to the 2040s], to be frank. If there is a sudden economic miracle, then it might change that. But it does not look to be happening any time soon.' Ms Kendall said this week she was 'under no illusions' about the scale of the challenges facing both workers and the public purse as the country ages. 'Many workers are more concerned about putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads than saving for a retirement that seems a long way away, and many businesses face huge challenges in keeping profitable and flexible in an increasingly uncertain world,' she said.


The Guardian
a few seconds ago
- The Guardian
ITV announces new cost-cutting drive as half-year profits fall 44%
ITV has launched a further £15m in cost cuts after profits at the broadcaster plummeted by more than 40% in the first half of the year, after struggling to repeat the success of an advertising boom in last year's men's European football championships. The broadcaster said that pre-tax profits were down by 44% year-on-year to £99m in the first six months, as total advertising revenues fell by 7% to £824m. ITV said that it struggled to match the 'very strong' advertising period last year driven by the men's Euros, which had fuelled a 17% surge in ad revenue in the second quarter last year as England reached the tournament finals. ITV said it had managed the lack of a comparable advertising bonanza well, in results which beat the expectations of City analysts. Shares in the company rose by more than 5% on the London market. 'The Euros effect is budgeted for, we got that right, and have been able to mitigate in a softer market,' said Carolyn McCall, the ITV chief executive. The broadcaster announced a further £15m in cost savings, taking the total for this year to £45m, which it said will come from a combination of new initiatives and annualised benefits from cuts made last year. Separately, ITV also said it was trimming programming budget by £20m, from £1.25bn to £1.23bn, 'as we further optimise content spend to best reflect viewer dynamics'. Looking ahead, ITV expects total advertising revenue to be 'marginally down' in the third quarter, again due to last year's Euros. However, the decline has been softened by England's nerve-racking and exhilarating run to make the finals of the women's Euro 2025 tournament. ITV's gamble in choosing to have the first pick of the semi-finals in pre-tournament negotiations with the BBC, which in return got live coverage of three of the four quarter-finals, has paid off. England's European Championship semi-final win over Italy on Tuesday night gave ITV its highest viewing figures of the year. A peak audience of 10.2 million watched as England's Chloe Kelly scored in the final minutes of extra time to set up a final against Spain, which defeated Germany on Wednesday night. The dramatic semi-final – which ran for an advertising haul-friendly 120 minutes – was ITV's highest average audience of the year among adults and 16- to 34-year-olds. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion It also broke streaming records with ITVX recording its biggest day of the year with 17.2m stream views. Despite the record-setting viewing figures ITV said that it is the big tournaments that the England men play in that fuels much higher ad revenue. 'Nothing compares to a Euros or World Cup for us when England [men] are doing well,' said McCall. 'Audiences of 18m, 21m, they are double anything else. The women's game is the highest audience we have had, this year, but compared to what we get on big tournaments for the men's game, they are double.' ITV said that this year's women's Euros had been a slow burn with viewers, especially after the loss recorded in the first game, but in the men's tournaments every game performs well, even when England is not playing. The broadcaster recorded a 9% year-on-year increase in total digital revenues to £271m in the first half, as it seeks to reduce its reliance on traditional linear TV. On ITVX, total streaming hours increased by 15% year-on-year to 1.1bn, while monthly active users rose by 9% to 16.4m.


Reuters
a few seconds ago
- Reuters
UK firms struggle to grow as BoE rate decision approaches
LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - British business activity grew only weakly in July and employers cut jobs at the fastest pace in five months, according to a survey that is likely to add to speculation about a Bank of England interest rate cut next month. The S&P Global UK Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), published on Thursday, slowed to 51.0 points from 52.0 in June, not far above the 50.0 level that separates growth from contraction. A Reuters poll had forecast a smaller fall to 51.8. The survey's employment gauge dropped to 45.1, its lowest since February, with businesses in part blaming the decision by British finance minister Rachel Reeves to make them pay more in social security contributions for their staff from April. "Particularly worrying is the sustained impact of the budget measures on employment," Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said. "Higher staffing costs have exacerbated firms' existing concerns over payroll numbers in the current environment of weak demand, resulting in another month of sharply reduced headcounts in July." Worries about weak demand were also weighing on hiring decisions, S&P Global said. The BoE is expected to cut interest rates for the fifth time in 12 months on August 7 as it focuses on signs of a slowdown in the jobs market, even as inflation remains above the central bank's 2% target and rose to 3.6% in June. Williamson said Thursday's survey suggested Britain's economy was growing at a quarterly pace of just 0.1% with a risk that it could prove weaker. However, the PMI underscored the BoE's dilemma with growth in prices charged by firms speeding up for the first time since April as suppliers sought to offset some of the tax increase and higher wage bills. The PMI for the services sector slipped to 51.2 in July from June's 52.8. The manufacturing sector PMI rose for a fourth month in a row to 48.2 from 47.7 but remained in contraction territory for a 10th consecutive month.