The UK government's gilt issuing policy may not only be affecting annuity values but also the prospects of deferred members of pension schemes which are winding up.
Gilts, the common name for public debt or bonds issued by the UK government, are the basis for annuities as they offer a guaranteed rate of return over a certain period of time. However, as more pension schemes have moved into gilts over recent years as part of scheme funding plans - to reduce deficits and match liabilities - the price of gilts has gone up. In May 2005, the Debt Management Office (DMO) - an executive agency of HM Treasury - started issuing 50-year gilts but a report for the Department for Work on Pensions (DWP) on annuity pricing, published this March, says while this mov...
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