Pensions Board to attend Woman’s World Show, RDS

Friday 1 June 2007: The Pensions Board will focus on one of its key target sectors in relation to pensions coverage when they attend the Woman’s World Show at the RDS this weekend (1st – 3rd June), where the Board will be encouraging women to plan for their financial future.

Overall, pension coverage for the female workforce stands at 50.6% compared to 58.3% for men. Furthermore, recent Pensions Board figures confirm that women are still significantly behind in terms of PRSA uptake with only 37% of all new PRSA accounts opened by women compared to 63% for their male counterparts.

Discussing the issue, Mary Hutch, Head of Information and Training, Pensions Board said: “With pensions, the key message for women is to stop putting it off and start planning for your future retirement. This is particularly relevant to women who still lag noticeably behind men in terms of pensions take-up. Women should make pension contributions and avail of the tax reliefs associated with a pension.”

The Pensions Board will have an information stand at the Woman’s World exhibition to promote the importance of women’s financial independence in retirement. Women can now often expect to live until 88, compared to men’s life-expectancy of 85. Ms Hutch added: “Visit The Pensions Board Stand at F18 where the Board can provide you with information about starting a pension and you can enter our Women’s Survey Competition to win a Health and Fitness Voucher worth €500.”

The time for action is now so the Board also encourages women to visit the on-line Pensions Calculator and work out their future pension needs on www.pensionsboard.ie.

-Ends-

For further information please contact:

Mary Hutch
Head of Information and Training
The Pensions Board
Tel: (01) 6131900

David Malone
Project Manager- National Pensions Action Campaign
The Pensions Board
Tel: (01) 6131900

Jackie Gallagher
Q4 Public Relations
Tel: (01) 4751444 / 087-2371838

Notes:

About The Pensions Board:
The Pensions Board is the statutory body set up to regulate occupational pension schemes and Personal Retirement Savings accounts (PRSAs) and to advise the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, and through him, the Government, on overall pension policy development. See www.pensionsboard.ie

Pension Information:
The Pensions Board has a range of information booklets on pensions matters including a comprehensive booklet on “Women and Pensions”. All of the booklets are available online on at www.pensionsboard.ie and from LoCall 1890 65 65 65.