Sharing research findings on pension protection and pension reform

CPC-CG member Professor Athina Vlachantoni recently led a dissemination workshop for the ESRC-funded 'Promoting inclusivity in pension protection and other forms of saving among men and women from black and minority ethnic communities in the UK' project. The event brought together colleagues from Southampton City Council, the Pensions Policy Institute, AgeUK, and Daniela Silcock from Pensions Research.

Discussions centred on the findings from the project, whose aim was to improve the inclusivity of individuals from minority ethnic communities in pension policy planning, and address a gap in the understanding of the socio-economic factors affecting pension protection among current and future generations of older individuals from minority ethnic communities in the UK.

CPC-CG Director and University of Southampton Vice President (Engagement and International) Professor Jane Falkingham CBE opened the meeting and drew links between the research project and the University's important civic work in Southampton. Some of the project's research participants were also in attendance to share invaluable insights about financial resilience, the role of families and communities, and the pension system.

The meeting's take-home messages focused on:

- the importance of exploring intersectionalities in research about financial resources;
- the need for inclusive design of employment recruitment policies and pension products;
- the role of financial education across the life course;
- and the critical role of community leaders in promoting greater awareness of financial entitlements.

Taken together, the aim is that the findings from this research project can contribute important insights to the current academic and policy debate about pension protection and pension reform.

During the study, the research team focused on both mid-life and older individuals, considering their financial resilience in the context of their social networks and living arrangements. To place individuals from minority ethnic groups in the UK at the heart of the research, the project team used innovative methods such as photo images taken by participants to describe what late-life financial planning means to them. By listening to real-life narratives, the lived experiences of individuals from minority ethnic communities can be better understood, adding to the evidence on ethnic differentials in pensions, and promoting greater inclusivity in pension protection.

The project also used data from large-scale social surveys, including Understanding Society and the Family Resources Survey. The research team also explored the usefulness of the Wealth and Assets Survey for the study of pension protection and saving among individuals from minority ethnic groups.

In addition to this dissemination workshop, the research team have held events about financial adequacy in later life with individuals from younger age groups (including school-age children) to older people, for example collaborting with Cantell School in Southampton, with outcomes documented in CPC-CG Policy Briefing 77 'Pupil attitudes to ageing, pensions and saving for later life'. They have also liaised with local and national stakeholders throughout the project, including the Department for Work and Pensions, AgeUK Southampton, Southampton City Council, The People's Pension, Citizens Advice Southampton, the Pensions Policy Institute, Runnymede Trust and the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The project has also resulted in two public photograph exhibitions at Winchester Gallery in Winchester and God's House Tower Gallery in Southampton, featuring the images taken by research participants - access a virtual version of the exhibition.

There is also a co-produced leaflet which provides advice and points of information about financial issues and pension protection: Later life financial planning factsheet.

Further reading

Pupil attitudes to ageing, pensions and saving for later life (CPC-CG Policy Briefing 77)

Pension protection among men and women from UK Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities (CPC-CG Policy Briefing 80)

Financial preparedness for later life among the Chinese community in the UK (CPC-CG Policy Briefing 82)

Later life financial planning (Factsheet)

Building financial resilience for later life (Virtual exhibition)

Personal pension participation (Exhibition infographic)

In receipt of state pension, workplace pension, pension credit (Exhibition infographic)

In receipt of private pension (Exhibition infographic)


Acknowledgements

The research team was led by Professor Athina Vlachantoni, with colleagues Professor Yuanyuan Yin from the Winchester School of Art, Dr Spela Mocnik from the Centre for Research on Ageing in Southampton, and Dr Saddaf Naaz Akhtar, now at the University of Liverpool. Thanks to Teresa McGowan from CPC-CG and Yifan Ge for the support, and to the Economic and Social Research Council for funding the project.

Posted 12/11/2025 13:26