Debbie Abrahams MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, commenting on the Department for Work and Pensions statistics on auto-enrolment, said:

“I am pleased to see that the policy of auto-enrolment introduced by the last Labour government is helping many more workers build a savings pot for their retirement.

“This is further evidence that only Labour can be trusted with pensions. A recent report by the OBR showed that pension reforms made by this Tory government will ‘blow a £5bn a year hole in the public finances’ by discouraging saving.

“In its upcoming review of auto-enrolment, the government must extend the scheme to meet Labour’s original intention, by ensuring that the 19 percent of all workers, including the 31 percent of women workers and 25 percent of BME workers, who currently earn too little, can gain access.”