Over 1 million people are on zero hour contracts (1 in 33 UK working age people), which does not mandate employers to auto-enroll. Another 4 million are self-employed, and the majority of them are not saving towards retirement.

That means a potential of 3 million of working age zero and self-employed have nothing saved, a further 2 million from that same pool will likely have less than recommended amount saved.

In the company employed pool, 9% have opted out of the enrollment, so that’s 2.5 million opted out.

In total, about 20% of working age people are not actively saving into pensions (although may save elsewhere). A potential bombshell if that many people become officially destitute in a relatively short space of time.

While the UK has made some steps to try and rectify things (as chancellor, Gordon Brown funded the 2-year commission that recommended auto-enrollment and it has worked well), 14 years of Conservative rule have pet some very nasty employment practices seep in and poison over a decade of pension funding opportunity. Companies are underpaying employees, Government is overtaking employees. Only companies coming out on top and seeing record profits while the country wastes away.

Fingers crossed, intervening on this is high on Kier’s priorities because our current unfettered capitalist model is a complete mess.