Pension charges add up over lifetime

Dear Sir,

The cost of living crisis is impacting people living in Wiltshire and across the UK and has prompted many to pay careful attention to how much they pay for utilities and services.

So, it’s interesting that fewer than half the adult UK population (48 per cent) ‘care’ about the charges they pay on their pensions.

This is compared to seven in 10 who pay close attention to how much their mortgage or current bank account costs them.

Many people don’t realise that, over a lifetime, overpaying on pension charges can potentially cost a saver thousands of pounds from their pension pot.

We believe that all pension providers should show their charges in pounds and pence on an individual’s annual pension statement.

We think this would improve transparency around pension charges for millions of retirement savers around the country.

Yours Sincerely,

Phil Brown,

Director of Policy and External Affairs,

B&CE, provider of The People’s Pension,

Manor Royal,

Crawley, West Sussex

Ending veterans' homelessness

Dear Editor,

When someone has served their country in the Armed Forces, the least we can do is support them when they make the move back to civilian life.

Yet every year, thousands of veterans end up sleeping rough, sofa surfing or living in unsuitable hostels because they’re unable to access housing and slip through the net.

Those that have served their country, often through the most trying of times, deserve better.

The Armed Forces Covenant states that anyone who has served in the forces should face no disadvantage, and this includes accessing social housing.

Veterans, who are especially vulnerable to homelessness, should be prioritised for support.

We’ve seen a dramatic rise in the number of homeless veterans seeking help since the pandemic. With the rising cost of living crisis, we know the situation is going to get worse.

Too often former members of the Armed Forces miss out on housing support because they aren’t identified as a veteran.

As leading voices in the veterans housing sector, we’ve joined the No Homeless Veterans - www.nohomelessveterans.org.uk - campaign to urge local authorities to do more.

It’s vital that when someone needs help with housing, they are asked whether they’ve served in the forces. If they have, this should be recorded. Once identified, they can be directed towards support that’s available.

All local authorities across the UK should be identifying veterans quickly.

Our heroes deserve better and it’s inexcusable to leave them out in the cold.

Yours sincerely,

Richard Gammage, CEO, Stoll

Andrew Lord MBE, CEO, Alabaré

Bernard Stonestreet, Executive Secretary/Founder, East Sussex Veterans Hub

Tim Stockings, CEO, Haig Housing

Sheena MacKay, Case Manager, Help for Heroes

Steve Bentham-Bates, CEO, Help 4 Homeless Veterans

Moira Bayne, CEO, Housing Options Scotland

Colonel (Ret’d) Tony Gauvain, Chair/CEO, PTSD Resolution

Emrys Rogers, Head of Housing & Assurance, Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund

Mark Shields, Head of Community Support, Royal Air Forces Association