Shaping the future of pensions: member voice, pension reform and deliberative democracy – Constance Johnson

At a recent all-member event, participants explored how member voice and deliberative democracy could help shape the future of UK pensions, as questions of adequacy, fairness and sustainability become increasingly urgent.

The session focused on the UK’s pensions adequacy challenge, the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution schemes and the growing transfer of risk onto individuals. It asked how members can be more directly involved in decisions that will shape retirement outcomes for decades to come. Speakers considered whether deliberative democracy could offer a more informed and legitimate route for pensions reform, giving representative citizens the time, evidence and support to weigh up trade-offs and develop recommendations.