You probably know about the political debate surrounding the possible adjustment of the new pension. In the House of Representatives, a number of parties are requesting an addition to the new Dutch Pensions Act. This concerns the mandatory consent of participants for the transition to the new pension. We call this the pension referendum.
The law currently states that the employer, former employer, or sector decides what happens to the pension when switching to the new pension. As a participant or pensioner, you cannot therefore indicate whether you want to switch to the new pension. We will proceed on the basis of current legislation. If there is a change in the law, we will act accordingly and inform you about it.
The new pension was developed after intensive collaboration between unions, employers and the government. In such a process, participants and pensioners are represented by the unions and the works council, as they are during collective labour agreement negotiations.
All interests of participants and pensioners have been carefully weighed. The principle is for everyone in the Netherlands to enjoy a good pension. In addition, our participants and pensioners are also involved through the right to be heard, our Pensioners’ Association and accountability body. In this manner, we have so far taken into account the points of view of all parties.
Pensioenfonds PGB is expected to make the switch on 1 January 2027. We have been preparing for this for quite some time now. The interests of all our participants are paramount. Naturally, we are monitoring the political debate closely. We hope that calm and clarity will soon return. We remain committed to a good and careful transition to the new pension.