The government will "fundamentally simplify" the pensions system so that it "pays to save" for retirement, Iain Duncan Smith is to say.

The work and pensions secretary will indicate a move towards a flat-rate payment for men and women.

This will remove disincentives for low earners to build up savings and ensure fairness for those who take time off to raise children, the government says.

There is speculation the basic state pension could be set at £140 a week.

But ministers have not confirmed this and Mr Duncan Smith is not expected to set a figure in his speech to Age UK.

The current full state pension is £97.65 a week for single men and women and £156.15 for couples. These sums are topped up for the poorest in society to provide a guaranteed minimum income of £132.60 for single people and £202.40 for couples, through the means-tested pensions credit.

In his speech, Mr Duncan Smith will say the system is too complex and say means tests discourage many people from saving at all for retirement.

'Crystal clear'
He will argue that changes will ensure mothers who currently lose out on their pensions for having taken a career break to raise their children do not lose out later in life because of a lack of National Insurance contributions.

This reform would be paid for, in part, by savings in administration costs when means testing is scrapped.

Mr Duncan Smith is expected to say: "We have to fundamentally simplify the system. And we have to make it crystal clear to young savers that it pays to save."

He will warn that younger workers are becoming "increasingly cynical" about saving and will not be able to afford a "stable and secure" retirement unless the government does "something radically different".

The state pension age is already set to be increased in response to people living longer, with the default retirement age being abolished in October.

The government has moved to require employers to enrol staff automatically in private pension schemes from next year to boost individual savings for retirement.

But Mr Duncan Smith will say: "Auto-enrolment cannot solve the savings challenge on its own, and we have to be prepared to look at the other side of the equation. We now have to look at the state pension.

"The state pension system is so complex that most people have no idea what it will mean for them now and in their retirement.

"And too many people on low incomes who do the right thing in saving for their retirement find those savings clawed back through means-testing. We have to change this.

"We have to send out a clear message across both the welfare and pension systems: you will be better off in work than on benefits, and you will be better off in retirement if you save."

Chancellor George Osborne announced in last autumn's Spending Review that the state pension age for both men and women would rise to 66 by 2020 - six years earlier than had been planned by the Labour government.

For Labour, shadow pensions minister Rachel Reeves said: "Vague promises of jam tomorrow don't do anything for pensioners today. With higher VAT and fuel prices rising, they want help now.

"Labour supports a fairer, simple state pension system. But we want to see the detail - who will be better off and who worse off under this system?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12674194

Haven't time to read it all myself yet, but since a lot of you folks would have a better idea than me, what do you make of it?

what is needed is a phased in approach whereby the current working population isnt paying for the pensioners of today but are actually saving for their own future pensions. So that if you work you get a better pension and if you dont you just get the basic thus people can see that you will always better off working than not.

IF done properly then its a good idea

Basically the idea is that everyone would get the same basic pension (touted at £140) irrespective of if they have worked or not.

There would be no means testing so that any savings would make you better off.

At the moment after the basic pension (£94 ish) if your total income is less than £132 (ish) then it is topped up. This is however means tested so if you only have very modest savings / private pension you are no better off – so not giving any incentive to save for those on a low wage

As always the devil will be in the details but overall I think its a good thing – not that I expect there to be much of a state pension when I retire but so long as none of my company schemes go bust and I can work until I retire then I should be OK

State pension simplified - you don't get one.

Thing is you invest in private pensions at your own risk ask well, thanks to the banks thousands of people lost all of their pension funds.

The current system means if you do the right thing and save for yourself, you will be punished by having it taken from you while being given nothing. People who don't are given everything.
Hopefully this will change. People aren't stupid, they won't save knowing the current system.