Pensions jobs basically means working to look after the money that has been paid by individuals or companies to benefit them during retirement. Nearly all major employers and other companies, both private and public, offer pension schemes to their employees. For this reason, pension jobs are an extremely important part of the strength of the economy, and the impact on many peoples’ lives. See the following guide to pension work for more information about this field. There are a number of levels of job that can be worked in pensions jobs, which can be found in a range of different areas. These include: • Pension departments of companies where the company’s own scheme is run. • Benefits and actuarial firms are in place to give advice to businesses that have pension schemes. • Specialist services are available as advisers and offer services like administration that is outsourced. • Insurance companies where a lot of pension work can be found. • Government agencies need an increasing number of experienced pension jobs workers. As pensions jobs come in so many varying forms there can be lots of different skills and experience required for a job. However, generally speaking there are certain traits that will be beneficial for pension work: • Being able to deal with a range of people • Communicating complex and technical details • Ability to take in and analyse complicated information • IT and admin skills • Work with figures comfortably • Good teamwork

A quarter of a million workers at 400 universities, higher education colleges and associated institutions face cuts in their pensions. A range of changes to members of the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) are being proposed to cut a £17bn fund deficit. They include raising the pension age and increasing the amount members must contribute.
» Read more: Pension cuts proposed for university staff

The government is planning to speed up the state pension age for men to 66, possibly by as early as 2016. Ministers will also raise the option of extending it further, perhaps to 70 and beyond in the following decades. The default retirement age of 65 - at which workers can be legally axed by employers - is also set to be axed. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said this would stop people being "cast on the scrap heap" and would help "reinvigorate what retirement means".
» Read more: Pension age: Ministers to speed up rise to 66

If you choose a career in pensions and life assurance, you could work at a range of levels, including administrator, advisor and manager. If you choose to work as a pension’s manager, you'll work for a company ensuring that their pension schemes are run effectively. Your tasks will include managing a team, processing claims and settling disputes, investing your company's funds, planning new pension schemes, marketing, preparing annual reports and making sure that the standards of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) are met.
» Read more: Pensions and Life Assurance

Marks and Spencer has announced plans to inject £800m into its final salary pension scheme in an attempt to fill its growing funding gap. The idea is that M&S will be making cash contributions to the scheme totalling about £376m over the next eight years, as well as other investments.
» Read more: M&S plans pension fund bail-out

Pensions jobs require the responsibility of making sure that company pension schemes are working properly. The pension fund that has been accumulated by staff and company payments will be managed by someone in a pension job.
» Read more: Pensions Job Description