The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) has called for any proposals to reform public sector pensions to bear in mind the effect they will have on taxpayers.
Ahead of the forthcoming election, the PPI has published a discussion paper, which said any changes to the public sector pension market should be used to create a fairer and more transparent pension regime.
Niki Cleal, director of the PPI, said: "While there have been many proposals made for reforming public sector pension schemes, it is not always clear what policy objectives such reform proposals are attempting to address.
"The government’s aims in providing public sector pension schemes are to provide adequate pensions for public sector workers and to help recruit and retain high quality staff. But these aims have to be balanced with affordability for the taxpayer, and other broader objectives such as fairness and transparency."
Concerns around uncertainty within the public sector pension market could lead a number of trustees to seek information on schemes such as equity release.
These policies allow homeowners to access some of the cash they have tied up in their property assets.
