department for work and pensions

The combined defined benefit (DB) deficit decreased by £52.8bn over January to £51.0bn on a section 179 basis, according to the Pension Protection Fund's (PPF's) latest update.

Swift action to ban cold-calling has been promised by the government in a bid to stem the flow of pension savers being lured into scams.

Auto-enrolment (AE) has now brought on board its one millionth employer as the flagship programme reaches the end of its phased staging, the government has announced.

"We must do something, this is something, therefore we must do this," is the politician's fallacy famously expounded by Sir Humphrey Appleby in the BBC sitcom Yes, Prime Minister.

The government and the industry "need to work in partnership" to enable savers to take control of their future, pensions and financial inclusion minister Guy Opperman has said.

The government has indicated it may change the order in which debts are recovered during an insolvency, putting pension schemes higher up the hierarchy.

Carillion's 13 UK defined benefit (DB) pension schemes had a combined £2.6bn buyout deficit upon its collapse on 15 January, according to an analysis for Sky News.

The Fraud Compensation Fund (FCF) levy will unfairly hit auto-enrolment (AE) savers under government proposals, The People's Pension has warned.

The government's white paper on defined benefit (DB) security and sustainability has been delayed until spring, it has confirmed.

This week's top stories included coverage of Theresa May's reshuffle, in which the Department for Work and Pensions was given its fifth secretary of state within two years.