Pensions regulator to scrutinise value of schemes

Plans to enrol nine million more workers in company pension schemes are set to be investigated by regulators.

The Office of Fair Trading is to look at whether defined contribution pension schemes – a cheaper alternative to final salary ones – deliver "the best value for money for savers".

About four million people in the UK currently save in defined contribution schemes, a figure that is expected to more than double by 2018 due to automatic enrolment legislation. This forces employers to pay into a workplace pension scheme for their staff unless the worker opts out.