Tomorrow (Monday 21st July), the Government will announce how it intends to deliver the guidance guaranteed to those reaching state pension age.

We want an independent process that helps people  take decisions rather than telling people what to do.

We can’t see how guidance can be ring-fenced from advice, especially in a face to face meeting. But we’ll stick to “guidance” for the moment and hope that common sense takes over from semantics in time!

So, never a blog to miss a chance to stick its head above the parapet, here’s the Pension Plowman’s “GG Wishlist”.

1. The Government sticks to its promise to provide Face to Face guidance where needed
2. That for those for whom the logistics of F2F are too difficult, telephony and web-links are available
3. The offer is made by Government in a similar format to NHS check-ups – e.g. a written invitation that arrives in the post
4. That a central control is established, preferably with the Pension Advisory Service (TPAS), responsible for content and delivery
5. That the Money Advice Service provides secondary support using its web-based resources
6. That the Citizens Advice Bureaux are used to deliver Face to Face sessions
7. That the sessions are no longer than 30 minutes
8. That the guidance session is not “one and go” but links to TPAS support (where needed)
9. That the GG is funded by a general levy on the financial services industry
10. That it is delivered to time to those at SPA but with the ambition to pre-guide those in the pre-SPA retirement corridor (55 onwards) within the next decade

In a future blog, I will review how many of my top ten GG wishes, were realised!

Right now, take the poll and we’ll see how popular the Government’s preferred solution is!