British Pension Policy in the Twenty-first Century: a Partnership in Pensions or a Marriage to the Means Test?

Analyses how well the latest in a long line of reforms to the British pension system will serve the low-income population and protect against a means-tested old age. Argues that New Labour's proposals (set out in the Green Paper 'A new contract for welfare: partnership in pensions') will develop a new relationship between public and private pension provision which leads to a much wider role for means testing. Illustrates the argument by looking at faults written into the design of the pension system and by examining the experiences of the new regime that a range of hypothetical, low-income individuals would have. (Original abstract - amended)