Findings released today by the ABI reveal widespread uncertainty
over a proposed government power to require pension providers to
invest savers' money in assets of its choice, reinforcing
industry calls for the power to be dropped.
A new YouGov survey, commissioned by the ABI, on the government's
proposals to enable mandated pension investment finds that an
overwhelming 72% of adults in the UK have little or no confidence
in the government to make the right decisions about how their
pension is invested. Only 1% have a lot of confidence.1
46% of adults aged over 45 think requiring pension funds to
invest in certain assets would negatively impact the amount of
money they'll have in their retirement. A further 28% are unsure
of the impact it may have, while 21% think it would have no real
impact. Just 5% believe these requirements would have a positive
impact.
When asked their opinion on government plans to give itself the
option to mandate pension funds to invest an unspecified
proportion of people's pensions in specific areas set out by the
government, such as in UK companies or infrastructure, 49% of UK
adults said it was a bad idea. 27% are unsure and only 24% say
it's a good idea.
Looking ahead, 71% of UK adults say they have little or no
confidence that future governments would use a power allowing
them to direct pension investment into certain areas responsibly.
Within this group, almost one in three (31%) say they have no
confidence at all.
Yvonne Braun, Director of Long-Term Savings Policy at the ABI,
said:
“These results reveal deep unease about plans to force
pension funds to invest savers' hard-earned money by government
diktat. People need confidence that pension funds and government
are acting in their best interests, but many fear these plans
could threaten their retirement living standards.
"Mandation risks eroding public trust in the entire pensions
system, both now and in the future. We strongly support
investment in the UK economy, which is why we helped create the
Mansion House Accord. But investment must always be driven by
savers' best interests, and that principle should not be
compromised.”
End
Notes to Editor:
Footnotes:
-
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.
Total sample size was 2127 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken
between 10th – 11th March 2026. The survey was carried out
online. The figures have been weighted and are representative
of all UK adults (aged 18+).
