Overview of the National Pensions Awareness Campaign
Introduction
In this section you will find the following information:
- Overview of the National Pensions Awareness Campaign
- Key Priorities
- Key Elements
- Target Audiences
- Information Booklets
Overview of the National Pensions Awareness Campaign
The Board has been implementing the National Pensions Awareness Campaign, on behalf of the Government since 2003. The campaign was established to increase public awareness of pensions with a view to improving pension uptake.
Consumer surveys conducted by the Board since 2003 have shown a considerable increase in the level of pension awareness. However the pension coverage rate among those employed in the workforce is only at 55% (CSO Quarterly National Household Survey December 2005).
Independent Consumer Research carried out annually on behalf of the Pensions Board consistently shows that 8 out of ten people who do not contribute to a pension say that the State Pensions would not meet their needs in retirement. Recent research demonstrated that although employers are obligated by law to offer employees access to a pension only 48% of those interviewed had been offered access, of those 96% had never asked an employer about access to a pension. The research further shows that although awareness of the tax relief for pension contribution is relatively high at 73%only 3 in ten were able to identify the current lower rate of tax.
The figures demonstrate reluctance, by the general public and the key target audiences with low pension interaction, to properly plan and save for retirement. It is NPAC’s goal to reach these audiences, to provide them with information and to encourage a better understanding of pensions.
Key Priorities for NPAC
The key priorities for NPAC include:
- to increase pensions awareness including better understanding of pensions and tax relief support, particularly among the key target audiences where pensions knowledge is low
- to increase action among those with no pension provision
- to increase the numbers addressing the adequacy of their pension provision
- to progress development of financial education planning and programmes.
Key Elements of NPAC
Pension awareness and understanding are fundamental to NPAC, engaging the target audiences through a wide range of channels, opportunities and initiatives including:
- actively engaging with the pensions industry, employer organisations, trade unions, State and Government departments and a wide range of social and community groups to assist in the process of promoting increased pensions understanding and uptake
- attending an extensive range of conferences, exhibitions, seminars and trade shows throughout the country
- partnering with the pension providers and associations to undertake various joint activities including press advertising and in branch promotions
- strategic targeting of the print, radio and TV media which are popular among the target audiences
- participating in a comprehensive media relations programme to communicate the importance of pension understanding and retirement planning across various media including local radio stations, print and television, especially where coverage rates are low
- creating a fully integrated campaign which includes utilizing an array of appropriate media channels to direct the audiences to the information resources on the Pensions Board website.
Target Audiences
The National Pensions Awareness Campaign focuses on the general public and particularly those sectors of the population as identified in the CSO (Central Statistics Office) Pensions Surveys and Updates as having consistently low pension interaction and coverage. These areas where pension awareness and action are low include:
- Hospitality – the lowest level of pension coverage of all sectors and highest level of respondents who admitted to having limited knowledge of pensions.
- Retail – one of the lowest levels of pension coverage and second highest level of respondents admitting to not knowing about pensions in retirement.
- Farming – one of the lowest levels of pension coverage among employees, although this has improved slightly in the past two years and the lowest personal pension coverage among the self-employed.
- Women – have lower pension coverage than men at 50% in comparison to 56%; the gap has been tightening since 2002, but continuous promotion is still required.
- Population aged 25 – 35 years old – a key target for the Pensions Board, as it is critical that workers start their pension early in their working life in order to ensure they have adequate provision for their retirement.
- Young People / Graduates – it is important that the pension message reaches people before they start their first job so as to encourage behavioural change towards spending.
- International Workers – A high percentage of the migrant workers do not have a pension.
(CSO Quarterly National Household Survey 2005 & Pension Update 2007 & 2008 figures)
Campaign activity aims to encourage greater pension understanding among the general public and the specific target groups particularly with regard to the need to provide for replacement income in retirement.
Communication with the target audiences is delivered through an integrated campaign of marketing, PR, advertising and an education and information programme involving a comprehensive range of support agencies, organizations and associations. In working with these organisations and groups we provide education and information support for them in relation to pensions.
These organisations include:
- Chambers Ireland
- Comhairle
- Citizen Information Centers
- Fáilte Ireland
- FAS
- Great Place to Work Institute
- Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA)
- Irish Business and Employer Confederation(IBEC)
- Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)
- Irish Farmers Association (IFA)
- Irish Hospitality Institute
- Irish Small and Medium Enterprises (ISME)
- Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI)
- National Library Network
- National Recruitment Federation (NRF)
- Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI)
- Rural Leader Groups
- Small Firms Association (SFA)
- State Agencies and Government Departments
Information Booklets
The Pensions Board produces a wide range of very practical information booklets on all aspects of pensions. All of these booklets are available free of charge.
| What are my Pension Options | Women and Pensions | Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) A Consumer Guide | Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) Employers’ Obligations |
These four booklets are just some of the information booklets in the series published by the Pensions Board. All of the booklets are distributed through the Department of Social and Family Affairs local offices, Citizens Information Centres, employer groups, Trades Unions, employer and community representative organisations and national libraries.
