Government Views

The Pre-Budget Report (PBR) presented by Alistair Darling yesterday (December 9th) contains several potential "dangers" for pensions, an independent expert has said.Dr Ros Altmann, a former government pensions adviser, claimed that the apparent cap on public sector pension costs contained in the report are "misleading" and that the expenses will ... read more

Quantitative easing has been maintained at £200 billion, the Bank of England (BoE) announced today (December 10th).Policymakers at the bank also said that they would maintain interest rates at their record low of 0.5 per cent.The radical rate-cutting measures imposed by the BoE over late 2008 and early 2009 - ... read more

Carers have been given extra support from the government, with those taking part in Jobcentre Plus employment training gaining access to funding.The reforms have been targeted at those who have had to turn down a job offer due to their existing responsibilities.Recent figures suggest that one in five carers have ... read more

The chancellor of the exchequer should announce a "radical shake up" of the present annuities system in his Pre-Budget Report (PBR) on December 9th, a charity has said.Age Concern and Help the Aged said that many people with smaller pension pots were facing unacceptably high tax costs when converting their ... read more

Customer use of home reversion plans and equity release schemes could increase as a result of a government funding change. The BBC reported that the budget for the Warm Front scheme, which provides households with grants to pay for energy efficiency upgrades, is set to be halved from £369 million ... read more

Government and councils give care of older people a "relatively low priority", the Registered Nursing Home Association (RNHA) said today.A spokesman for the group said that the authorities need to "do more" to give "dignity and respect" to vulnerable people.The comments follow the release of a report from the Care ... read more

The standard of care offered to elderly people by some providers is inadequate, a new report has indicated.According to the Care Quality Commission, one in four old people's homes only offer an "adequate" or worse standard of care.The report indicated that one in three local authorities "must do more" to ... read more

Government support for the housing market has been demanded by the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA).The industry group said that chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling should include measures designed to protect the current recovery in his upcoming Pre-Budget Report.Suggested reforms from the NAEA include an extension of the ... read more

A warning over care home fees has been issued by a new report.Many people who have been overcharged for care costs could be unaware of a 1999 ruling allowing them refunds, the Observer reported.In 1999, a court said that people in England and Wales should have care home fees paid ... read more

The government should move to protect people's pensions as the recession continues to take a toll of the retirement savings sector, a report suggested today (November 27th).According to the National Association of Pension Funds' (NAPF) Annual Survey, 83 per cent of industry representatives wish to see more long-term government bonds ... read more