The new Pensions Commission is expected to publish its interim report in the spring, commissioner, Nick Pearce, has confirmed, also emphasising the importance of effective implementation alongside policy design.

Speaking at the Pensions UK Annual Conference, Pearce said the report would act as the Commission’s “first staging post”, setting out the evidence base and strategic direction for its work on assessing the UK’s pension system.

And this is expected to also have a focus on delivery of reforms, as Pearce warned that "it’s often forgotten that it’s not just a policy you develop, write down and announce in speeches — it’s the implementation of it, and how critical that is".

Pearce highlighted the success of the original Turner Commission, which led to the introduction of auto-enrolment and the single-tier state pension, stressing that the new Commission would adopt a similarly “clear, calm and methodical” approach.

He added: “We’ve been tasked to ensure the pension system is fit for purpose — sustainable, fair and adequate — in the middle of the 21st century and beyond. We will publish an interim report in the spring. They are big challenges, but they also bring opportunities.”

Fellow commissioner Jeannie Drake, who also served on the original Turner Commission, echoed this, arguing that the success of the previous reforms was rooted in their delivery and durability.

“The Turner settlement went through three governments — Labour, Coalition and Conservative — and it’s survived because there was flexibility around implementation and a real bind to a co-system solution,” she said. “Implementation is really important.”

Drake said that the new Commission will take a similarly strategic approach, focusing on identifying key policy levers while keeping implementation under close review.

“We can look at pensions strategically, not just contributions,” she added. “Our first focus is to get that interim report out, to set out the evidence and capture the problem.”

Looking further ahead, Drake also stressed the importance of maintaining intergenerational fairness and public legitimacy within the pensions system.

“We need to keep that contract fit for purpose,” she said. “It needs to hold over the next 30 to 40 years. There are issues around fairness, around intergenerational fairness, that probably need more of a focus than the original Turner Commission.”

Pearce and Drake both also underlined the importance of evidence-based recommendations and cross-party support, pointing to the Turner Commission’s success in creating lasting reform.

“Turner’s recommendations endured because they were really well evidenced and built political consensus,” Pearce said.

“All the stakeholders were forced to confront the bigger picture — you weren't just out to get the thing you wanted, you had to look at how everything held together."

He continued: “We’re very keen to engage with you all in helping us to address this bigger public good — to finish the job and deliver a better, fairer and sustainable pension system for everyone.”

The Pensions Commission’s final report is due 2027.

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