The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals ……………………………………………………………Policy News Journal
Age is another factor preventing people benefitting from services such as banking, shopping and government tools which are increasingly moving online. Just 43 per cent of over 65s have basic digital skills, compared to 93 per cent of 15 to 24 year olds.
Courses will be delivered by colleges and other adult education providers, and training will be funded from the existing Adult Education Budget.
Government will consult on the details of this new offer in the coming months.
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Managing sickness absence for SMEs 11 October 2016
The cross-government Work and Health Unit is running a competition to find new ways of supporting SMEs to manage sickness absence at an early stage.
Businesses and organisations can apply for a share of £500,000 to develop solutions that will help SMEs manage short-term sickness absence.
As well as improving individual wellbeing, the government is aware that addressing sickness absence offers economic benefits for businesses, employees and the state.
They are keen to look at innovative proposals from those who know best what works for SMEs, and will offer businesses with the most promising solutions a government contract to develop their product or service.
This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition run in partnership with Innovate UK .
Further information can be found on GOV.UK .
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New public body offering debt advice, money and pensions guidance 11 October 2016
Ministers have decided to take forward plans to develop a single public financial guidance body which is responsible for delivering debt advice, money and pensions guidance to the public.
Earlier this year the government consulted on setting up a two body delivery model for government-sponsored guidance. This included replacing the Money Advice Service (MAS) with a new, streamlined, money guidance body, and bringing together the Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) and Pension Wise into a new, pension guidance body.
Industry and consumer finance groups raised concerns about how two bodies might work together effectively and whether a single body would provide a better service for consumers.
Ministers have listened to these concerns and have decided that a single body would be better able to respond to the different financial guidance needs of consumers, making it easier for them to get access to the help they need to make effective financial decisions.
The Minister for Pensions, Richard Harrington, said:
“A single guidance body will be more efficient and will help consumers make the right financial decisions, and we are committed to ensuring people can access the best free and impartial financial guidance possible.”
The next steps will involve consulting on the best way to design a single body model, so legislation to create new public financial guidance bodies will not be included in the Pensions Schemes Bill.
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The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals
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