Torsten Bell, the UK’s minister for pensions, has officially unveiled the re-designed headquarters of People’s Partnership, which provides the People’s Pension to more than seven million savers.
Bell’s visit marked the completion of the extensive redevelopment of the Crawley offices, which took one year to complete. People’s Partnership now has over 1,000 employees across its two Crawley sites and its central London office.
During his visit, the Minister was given a tour of the new-look HQ and met with People’s Partnership chief executive Patrick Heath-Lay, and colleagues from across the organisation. The team explained how they currently support members of the People’s Pension, which is the UK’s biggest commercial master trust, and discussed future plans to continue strengthening services for savers, as well as supporting members into retirement.
Heath-Lay says: “I was really pleased that the minister was able to meet with colleagues who have a genuine understanding of how to meet the needs of real-life savers and work every day to deliver for them.”
The upgraded headquarters include enhanced communal spaces and designed areas for personal reflection and wellbeing, including dedicated prayer rooms equipped with washing facilities.
Earlier this week at the Pensions UK event, Bell’s position of supporting the DC mandation clause in the Pension Schemes Bill was opposed and labelled ‘the very wrong tack’ by shadow pensions minister Helen Whately.