Pensionsforce gets online makeover

PENSIONSFORCE, the free-of-charge workplace education service designed to help employers help their employees plan for retirement has launched a new website, pensionsforce.co.uk.

PENSIONSFORCE is an independent service provided free to employers by The National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF). It helps employees understand the importance of planning for their retirement and provides them with information about saving for their future. It is supported by the Department for Work and Pensions Education Fund,

The website provides practical information for employers and their employees. It explains to employers what the service offers and how to go about setting up a meeting and includes tools such as a step-by-step guide to carrying out a financial health check to help employees start planning for retirement.

A soon to be released NAPF survey shows that only 3% of HR Managers felt that employees in their company understood pensions and retirement planning well, demonstrating the need for services such as PENSIONSFORCE. An earlier NAPF survey1 showed that more than one in four (29%) employees with access to a workplace pension are unaware of pension tax relief and one in five (22%) are unaware of how much their employer contributes to a pension scheme.

Frances Corbett, PENSIONSFORCE manager, said "Many employees want to save for their retirement but are put off because they are not sure where to go to gain more information.

"PENSIONSFORCE gives employers the opportunity to encourage their employees to engage on the subject of retirement. It helps to show employees that their employer is interested in supporting their future financial well-being.

"Many employers are clearly concerned about low levels of retirement saving among employees and hosting a PENSIONSFORCE meeting is one way to try to address the issue. Our new website provides clear information for employers and employees."