Poll: State pension is inadequate

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With an economic downturn pointing towards an uncertain financial future, 66% of those surveyed said they had little or no confidence in the Government and its pension policies and 97% felt the state pension was inadequate to live on.

According to the poll by pensions provider Friends Provident, much of this distrust focuses on Gordon Brown, with just 5% of respondents saying they would trust the Prime Minister and former Chancellor of the Exchequer to manage their own pension funds.

Those questioned were equally damning of Labour's pension record since its landslide election victory in 1997, with 87% saying it had failed in its aim to provide an adequate state pension.

The respondents had plenty of suggestions for Mr Brown, with 43% calling for a larger state pension, while 12% wanted automatic enrolment in workplace pensions, and 9% called for an equal balance between private and public sector pensions, which tend to be more generous.

Jeremy Ward, head of pensions marketing at Friends Provident, said: "The public still lacks faith in the Government when it comes to pensions.

"Many people want to see greater commitment to state pensions, with a larger and fairer state pension proving most popular."

YouGov surveyed 2,083 adults in April.