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MOST RECENT ARTICLES FROM STEVE WEBB
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How I became solar panels convert - and even made a profit on my electricity bill, by SIR STEVE WEBB
22/04/25 09:02
My spirits always lift at this time of year when the sun comes out - but this spring I have an extra reason to enjoy the warmer weather. Last year my wife Helen and I installed solar panels, which means sunny days boost our bank balance as well as my mood. But do the numbers for solar panel installation really add up in Britain?...read
My company pension is moving to an insurer - what happens if it goes bust? STEVE WEBB replies
21/04/25 07:52If the insurance company were to fail would my pension be taken over by the Pension Protection Fund as would be the case if the company failed?Should I start taking my state pension? I'm 73 and work full time: STEVE WEBB replies
14/04/25 06:00I am currently working full time and receiving disability benefits for life. I would like to know if I will get the full pension, and if any amount will be deducted.Can I get a part-time job while drawing the state pension? STEVE WEBB replies
07/04/25 06:00What do you need to know if you opt to work past state pension age? Steve Webb explains National Insurance, private pension, tax and benefit rules.Should I buy state pension top-ups before the 5 April deadline? STEVE WEBB explains
31/03/25 06:00I was going to pay to fill gaps in my state pension which costs a few hundred pounds, but I checked my forecast for 2030 when it is due and I have the maximum forecast.McCloud judgement creates a tricky pension dilemma for civil servants - STEVE WEBB gives his verdict
24/03/25 07:00Like thousands of other civil servants, retired and employed, I have received an offer from the Civil Service Pension Scheme - and my decision is permanent.I'm splitting with my husband at 68 and only have a state pension - what do you advise? STEVE WEBB replies
17/03/25 07:00I have £150,000 in savings in my name and I would like advice on how to use this money to give me an income for life to help with the running costs of my home.Why does the teachers' pension scheme keep asking if I've remarried? STEVE WEBB replies
10/03/25 08:12TPS send me a letter every year asking if my circumstances have changed. If they do then I will stop receiving my widow's pension.Why do I need MORE than the average salary for a comfortable retirement? STEVE WEBB replies
03/03/25 07:00How can people save sufficiently to provide an income in retirement which they cannot even earn in salary? What am I missing?Help! My state pension credits are missing: STEVE WEBB urges everyone to 'spring clean' their NI records
24/02/25 07:00You helped a reader not credited with National Insurance contributions whilst claiming Universal Credit. I have exactly the same issues regarding ESA.Should my wife still give me 10% of her personal tax allowance after she gets state pension? STEVE WEBB replies
17/02/25 06:00Will her new state pension be higher than her now reduced personal tax allowance, and if so how will HMRC recover tax from her?My state pension record is wrong! STEVE WEBB launches new probe and an appeal to readers
10/02/25 06:00I have checked my National Insurance record and have found gaps when I received Universal Credit but not the NI credits for these periods.Will my pension be at risk if it's used to boost economic growth? STEVE WEBB replies
03/02/25 06:00Should I be concerned about my private pension if the Government wants to access these funds to boost the economy?How do I cut the tax on taking cash from my pension? STEVE WEBB replies
27/01/25 07:00I want to understand more about the tax-free 25% as this forms a big part of my strategy, which is to take more of it in the first stage of retirement.I put my state pension on hold and I'm owed £40,000 - how do I 're-retire'? STEVE WEBB replies
20/01/25 07:29I was born in 1949 and when I reached retirement age at 65 I started to draw my state pension. After a few years I realised I could 'de-retire' which I did several years ago.Is it true pensions won't be increased by RPI inflation after 2030? STEVE WEBB replies
13/01/25 07:00I understand that from 2030 CPIH (Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers' housing costs) will be introduced which is less than the RPI.How safe are my pensions? I'm worried the rules seem confusing? STEVE WEBB replies
23/12/24 07:00I have two defined benefit pensions from past employment and also pension savings with three defined contribution schemes, set up by past employers.I'm 67 and have a 17-year shortfall in my state pension record - should I buy top-ups? STEVE WEBB replies
16/12/24 06:00The Government said if I pay before April they can give me 10 years' stamps back. I get £145 a week in state pension, I've never been on benefits and I worked for 53 years.
We've been caught by the Child Benefit state pension trap - should we buy more years? STEVE WEBB replies
09/12/24 07:00We never claimed Child Benefit (as we understood it would be tapered away) and didn't realise the impact this would have on NI contributions.Should we insist pension tax relief is used to invest in UK companies? STEVE WEBB replies
02/12/24 07:00Would it cause any fundamental issues if the rules were altered to ensure this happened?If I start taking my NHS pension at 60 will it affect Universal Credit payments? STEVE WEBB replies
25/11/24 07:00I will be 60 in a few months, and I'm living just on Carer's Allowance and Universal Credit, which I've been receiving for a few years while caring for a family member.I last paid into my pension over seven years ago, will it be free of inheritance tax? STEVE WEBB replies
18/11/24 07:00I had always understood my Sipp contributions were held in trust and the trustees had the power to decide who payments from it should be made to after my death.Should we get employers to split pension contributions 50/50 between couples? Steve Webb replies
11/11/24 06:00You could simply make employers create two pots one for each partner and pay half of all contributions to each pot. My pension is four times that of my wife's pot.Can married couples inherit pension pots tax-free after the Budget changes? STEVE WEBB replies
04/11/24 07:00If you are married and have unused defined contribution pensions when you die, does your spouse inherit the pension tax free, like the house, savings and so on?I'm 66 in April 2026 so how long will I have to wait for my state pension? STEVE WEBB replies
28/10/24 08:43I will be 66 on 1 April 2026. Under the changes that the Government are about to make will I get my pension or will I have to wait another year?Do Waspi women have to register to get compensation? STEVE WEBB warns against scam websites
21/10/24 05:00If you are asked to put details into a website it may well be a scam, as we previously warned after being alerted by the Waspi campaign, says Steve Webb.What is 'COPE' and why has it vanished from state pension statements? STEVE WEBB replies
14/10/24 05:00My COPE was approximately £50 a week on pension forecast statements but now seems to have disappeared when I go online.
I put £750 a month in a pension for my son - how does tax relief work? STEVE WEBB replies
07/10/24 06:00I am a higher rate tax payer. Can the additional tax relief be claimed or is it calculated at the basic rate which is my son's rate of tax?I'm 83 and disabled, so why don't I get help with energy bills? STEVE WEBB flags little-known pension credit boost
30/09/24 05:00I have osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and because I am just over the limit for any benefits will not qualify for any help with my heating this winter.
The Teachers' Pension Scheme has delayed my divorce for a over a year... and counting
23/09/24 06:35The Department of Education said my wife had to wait for a CETV due to staff shortages. This has been dragging on for months and months with no end in sight.
Most popular Steve Webb columns on private pensions: The 12 hot topics
19/09/24 06:00This is Money's star agony uncle Steve Webb receives many questions on private pensions. We've compiled his columns on 12 frequently raised topics.STEVE WEBB on the lessons This is Money readers could teach Pensions Ministers...
18/09/24 05:00Steve Webb answered his 400th reader question this week. 'I think it should be compulsory for every Pensions Minister to read my inbox every week,' he says.
STEVE WEBB: I've written 400 pension columns - here's the inside story on them
17/09/24 05:00When I first offered to answer readers' questions on pensions, little did I realise that I would still be going eight years later, says Steve Webb.DWP says my late mother was underpaid state pension, so who inherits this money? STEVE WEBB replies
16/09/24 05:00I've been told by the DWP my late mother is owed five years' worth of pension credits. Would this form part of her estate or be paid direct to next of kin?
I'm worried that means-tested pensions might come in before I retire - how likely is it? STEVE WEBB replies
09/09/24 05:00I am concerned that those in power at the moment will say I can't have my state pension because I have over 50k in the bank.
I'm disabled and can't work, how do I build up a state pension? STEVE WEBB replies
02/09/24 06:00I have looked at my state pension and I have 32 qualifying years but am still a few years short of the full pension which obviously would help me enormously.
Why is HMRC blocking me from taking a 33% tax-free lump sum from a pension? STEVE WEBB replies
26/08/24 05:00My financial adviser told me I could take an enhanced 33 per cent and not the usual 25 per cent - I think due to when I first took out the policy.DWP told me I can't inherit state pension because my late husband died too young - is that true?
19/08/24 06:58I believe that I have only received my state pension based on my contributions, which cannot be right. Could you please investigate my claim?Starting to get my state pension means I have to pay income tax
12/08/24 06:00I retired early several years ago, drawing my private pension that is lower than the annual tax threshold on its own, but that will change.How do I find a long lost pension? STEVE WEBB tracks down a pot worth thousands for our reader
05/08/24 06:00The saga of trying to track down your missing pension has been going on for a decade, says Steve Webb. Find out how he traced it -and how YOU can hunt lost pots.Why has my state pension suddenly stopped and how do I get it restarted?
29/07/24 06:00I've written four letters, one email, all without a reply. I've had two strokes since and was unable to chase it up. I am 87 years of age, by myself, and need someone to help.How much tax will I pay on a deferred state pension lump sum under pre-2016 rules? STEVE WEBB replies
22/07/24 05:00If you deferred under the pre-2016 state pension system you get a lump sum option. Steve Webb explains the tax rules - and what happens if you die before taking it.Will Labour end the 25% tax-free pension lump sum and should I take mine now to protect it?
15/07/24 06:00If the 25% tax free allowance is removed would you advise on starting to plan to take that now - and how much notice will we get of any changes?How do I protect my pension against tax changes by Labour? Steve Webb replies
08/07/24 06:00I now wish put my pension into drawdown to avoid any potential tax changes or anti-forestalling legislation introduced by a new Government.When will low earners get tax relief on pension contributions?
01/07/24 06:42The Government has introduced a new pension top-up scheme for people on low income. How will it work?Why does Nest have stricter rules than other pension schemes?
24/06/24 06:00I like Nest as an organisation, and would like to have been able to stay with it for longer, given its professionalism and great performance.
I'm on Universal Credit - will my private pension payments be taken into account? STEVE WEBB replies
17/06/24 05:00Following my transition to Universal Credit, I need clarification regarding the treatment of my private pension contributions.If I take 25% tax-free cash from my pensions - can I then pay more into them? Steve Webb replies
10/06/24 06:00I want to leave the rest invested without taking any money for a number of years and continue to contribute. Are there any restrictions on doing this I should know about?I've tried for 19 YEARS to get a one-year error in my NHS pension record put right - Steve Webb replies
03/06/24 06:00It would seem without a 23-year-old payslip I don't have a leg to stand on despite having what I feel is a wealth of other evidenceI'm seeing a financial adviser about my pension - what should I ask them? STEVE WEBB replies
27/05/24 06:00I know everyone's case is different, but can you give me just a basic overview of what I need to ask them please?My disability benefit hasn't protected my NI record and I'm 18 years short due to missing credits: STEVE WEBB replies
20/05/24 06:00The International Pension Centre said t I needed to contact the Jobcentre in Annan, Scotland, where I was living for a time. I did and they had no idea what I was talking about.I'm worried about losing annuity income if my husband dies before me: Steve Webb replies
13/05/24 05:00We were never asked whether, if my husband should pass away first, the pensions would pass to me his wife, so we were misinformed I believe.
Can I get my private pension at 55 due to this bizarre birth year quirk? STEVE WEBB replies
06/05/24 06:00My pension provider says I am in the unusual position of being able to access my pension at 55 for a short period, but then being denied access again until I'm 57. Why?I'm struggling to hit a tight deadline to turn six pensions into a £17,500-a-year annuity: STEVE WEBB replies
29/04/24 06:00One provider gave me two weeks' notice of a platform change which required a period when no transfers could be made. The period ends three days before the Aviva guarantee on my annuity quote ends.Why did DWP say my mum, 90, was owed £60k in state pension - when that was false?
22/04/24 05:00We were told it was high priority and someone would phone back to explain things as it had gone to the higher managers. No call back came. Is there any way forward with this?How do I track down a long lost pension? Steve Webb's five top tips for finding old pots
15/04/24 05:00I accumulated a small company pension in the mid 1980s. I have tried all the conventional methods to trace this money but without success. Why can't I trace the pension - can you help?Will state pension become means tested if you own property or have private pensions? Steve Webb replies
08/04/24 05:00I personally feel very concerned about this and I am sure I am not the only one. Is this likely to be introduced? At what level would this likely to be triggered? Would it affect those already claiming?I paid NI for 45 years so don't I get a full state pension - please explain? Steve Webb replies
01/04/24 06:00I have no idea when my contributions were contracted out, but was told by HMRC this period of contracting out should provide me with £20 per week from elsewhere - so who will pay me this?I'm 84 and don't have a National Insurance number - can I get a state pension?
25/03/24 07:00I have tried many avenues to try to get an NI number but each time am told that if I am not looking to get a job, I cannot be given one.
I've got £213,000 in my pension pot, what do I need to do before I hit 75? STEVE WEBB replies
18/03/24 08:28I will be 74 years old in July this year. Is there anything I should be doing with my Sipp before I reach the age of 75?I take £3k a year from my £50k pension pot - should I buy an annuity? Steve Webb replies
11/03/24 07:00Interest rates are much higher now and therefore I assume annuities will have improved also. Would I have to use the same firm for the annuity as currently hold my pension pot and will the transfer incur fees?Can I stop an old financial adviser taking £60 a month from my pension? STEVE WEBB replies
04/03/24 06:00I estimate this has cost me thousands of pounds without any contact from my old adviser. Should I contact the Ombudsman as this seems like theft and should I be able to seek compensation?DWP says my dad who died at 100 was underpaid state pension for 20 years: Steve Webb replies
26/02/24 06:00There was a declaration to complete which I did and I have since tried to call them to find out if he is eligible. They are unable to advise as the section dealing with this do not take calls.Why am I being asked intrusive questions about moving my pension?
19/02/24 06:00I have changed companies and want to move my pension - but my old provider wants signed declarations about my pension plans and to know if it's high risk, as well as photo ID.A pension transfer I made in 2006 was short by £3,800 but I'm only being offered £5k back now: Steve Webb replies
12/02/24 06:00I am unhappy with the sum offered. I feel 17 years of investment in a managed pension scheme would have yielded much more than the sum offered.Should I pay extra into my pension to dodge the 60% tax trap above £100k? Steve Webb replies
05/02/24 06:00I'm enrolled in a workplace pension, and this tax year I will earn over £110k and I will lose part of my tax-free allowance. Will paying £11k as an additional contribution to my pension offset any extra tax?Why does the Pension Protection Fund only give pensioners a 2.5% raise? Steve Webb replies
29/01/24 06:00ln a recent letter they said that although they have billions of pounds of assets they have decided not to increase the indexable part of the pension by more than the 2.5 per cent required by the rules.I'm a retired nurse and just had a £200-a-month rent hike, but no rise in housing benefit: STEVE WEBB replies
22/01/24 07:26After my bills have been taken out of my account I am left with just over £100 a week. I have applied for an increase in my current housing benefit but was told t I am receiving the maximum I can get.What will National Insurance cut mean for self-employed and their state pensions? Steve Webb replies
15/01/24 06:00Now that Class 2 has been abolished, how can a self employed person contribute towards his or her state pension entitlement?My mum might be due more state pension - but will she lose pension credit? Steve Webb replies
08/01/24 08:49My mother has recently received a letter stating that she may be eligible for Home Responsibilities Protection. Is it worth applying or could she lose out financially?
Are YOU on the right state pension? STEVE WEBB reveals the 'magic minimum'
06/01/24 12:01The New Year is an ideal time to get this sorted once and for all. Here is what you need to know and how to take action, says This is Money's popular agony uncle.Can we inherit state pensions after 30 years living together, or do we need a civil partnership? Steve Webb replies
26/12/23 06:00I am 69 and claiming my state pension. My partner is 65 and not yet claiming his pension, which will be available from December 2024.How does the Boots pension deal with L&G affect my early retirement plan? Steve Webb replies
18/12/23 06:01Previously there was no penalty for taking your pension from 60-65, so I was planning to retire early - but the rules have now changed.
Can I claim my deceased husband's state pension 15 years after he died? Steve Webb replies
11/12/23 06:00My husband died in 2008. He was 60, I was 47. I never received widows pension as I was apparently to young.I'm a 45-year-old professional who rents and has no pension - should I worry? Steve Webb replies
04/12/23 06:00I am a psychologist working for the NHS and privately. I am not contributing into a pension as I am investing my earnings into furthering my career - but I am getting worried about the future.Should I take an NHS pension at 55 or wait until I'm 60? Steve Webb replies
27/11/23 06:00I am 55 years old and considering taking an old NHS pension as soon as possible like many of my colleagues. The other question is should I take the larger tax free lump sum or smaller?How can I avoid paying 'emergency tax' to HMRC on a pension withdrawal? Steve Webb replies
20/11/23 06:00My pension firm advises me that they will apply an emergency tax code on this £20,000 and then I need to reclaim overpaid tax from HMRC.I'm a full-time carer on a £90-a-week state pension - but denied benefits: Steve Webb replies
13/11/23 06:00I was already shortchanged by recent state pension rises because prices of everything have outstripped the increase on what is now a very, very low state pension.
I was underpaid state pension but DWP says it's too late to fix: Steve Webb slams 'outrageous' case
06/11/23 06:00I realised that I could have had a bigger pension when my husband retired. But when I contacted them they said it was too late and nothing could be done.My state pension record has a big hole from the time I was looking after my child - Steve Webb replies
30/10/23 06:00My husband and I did not claim child benefit money as my husband's salary was over £65,000. However we did complete a form stating that I would like my contributions to continue.
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