Six million to receive pension predictions by 2006

More than six million workers are to receive predictions of their state and private pension provisions by 2006, the government has said

Alan Johnson, secretary of state for work and pensions, said the forecasts were "crucial" to encourage workers to think of their retirement provisions, the Investment and Pensions Europe website reports.

A million workers had already received their statements by February this year.

But Peter Thompson, a partner at Mercer and former head of the UK's National Association of Pension Funds, cast doubt on the government's planned timetable of reaching 5.3 million further workers within fifteen months.

"It is a long way to go before they have that amount of workers covered. It gives them a lot to do," he said.

"If does succeed and reach everyone, well and good."

Discussing possible ways of getting the message across he said he thought the government could provide workers with the ability to receive information online.

"Whether the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) or the government is quite there with the software is a moot point," he said.