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14
ObjectivesSetforPRSAs
GerardHughes
TheprimaryobjectivewhichwassetforthePRSAwastoincreasecoverageof
privatepensionschemesforthoseaged30andoverfrom54percentto70percent
withintenyearsoftheirintroduction.Intermsofallthoseatworkthisobjective
canbeexpressedasarequirementtoincreasethecoverageratefromlessthanhalf
to60percentinatenyearperiod.
AwiderangeofotherobjectivesweresetforPRSAsbutnosystematiceffort
hasbeenmadetopublishinformationwhichwouldfacilitateevaluationofhow
successfultheyareinachievingtheseobjectives.However,thereareanumberof
keyobjectivesofPRSAsforwhichenoughinformationispublishedtofacilitatean
evaluationofhowwellPRSAshaveperformedsincetheirintroduction.Thekey
objectivessetforthePRSAproductare:
1.Thatitshouldbealowercostproductthanwasavailableinthepast;
2.ThatinadditiontotraditionalprovidersofpensionsthePRSAshouldbesup-
pliedbythePostOfficeandotherretailoutletssuchassupermarkets;
3.Thatitshouldhaveaflexibleretirementage;
4.ThatownersofPRSAsshouldeventuallybuyanannuityforlife;
5.Thatitshouldbemandatoryforallemployers,exceptthosewithoccupational
schemesforallemployees,toprovideaccessforalltheiremployeestoaPRSA
provider;
6.ThattheprimarymarketforthePRSAshouldbeemployeesinnon-pensionable
employmentandthatindividualswhochangeorlosetheirjobshouldbeableto
continuecontributingtotheirpension
2.
SomeofthekeyobjectivessetforPRSAscanbeevaluatedonthebasisofthe
termsandconditionsonwhichthenewpensionsavingproductwasintroduced
afternegotiationsbetweenthegovernmentandpensionproviderswhileothersre-
quiredatastretchingbacktoSeptember2003whenthenewproductwasintro-
duced.Wewillbeginourevaluationbyconsideringobjectives1to4inthelist
aboveandthenproceedingtoconsiderobjectives5and6togetherwiththeprimary
objectiveofincreasingpensioncoveragefromlessthanhalfto60percentwithin
atenyearperiod.
PRSACharges,Providers,RetirementAgeandDrawdown
ThetermsandconditionsonwhichPRSAproductswereissuedbypensionpro-
vidersdifferedinimportantrespectsfromthoseenvisagedbythePensionsBoard
(1998)initsreportSecuringRetirementIncome.InsteadofonePRSAproductkite
2Previously,individualswhochangedorlosttheirjobhadtoceasecontributingtotheir
pensionarrangement.