Living Time levels up women’s annuities ahead of ECJ ruling

Living Time, the fixed-term annuity provider, has equalised annuity rates for men and women ahead of an ECJ ruling that could force all providers to do the same.

The ruling, due on 1 March, could force all insurers to ignore gender as a risk factor in actuarial calculations, which experts fear will bring men's annuity rates down to the same lower level as women's.

Living Time says it has brought women's rates into line with men's ahead of the ruling to prevent confusion.

"By acting ahead of the ECJ ruling we are offering female clients a better deal now rather than waiting for the formal judgement to be made," says Kim Lerche-Thomsen, chief executive of Living Time.

"While longer-term we will have to wait and see how the wider market reacts and where unisex rates end up, from a consumer point of view this is the right thing to do."

Insurers have had to make changes to their normal annuity quote procedures in the run up to the ECJ decision.

In February, Canada Life reduced its guaranteed annuity quote period so all guarantees ended on 25 February in case the law changed.