LOCAL MP David Mundell has called for urgent action by the UK Government to distribute surplus pension funds due to former mineworkers.
He says a number of coal industry retirees in his constituency are amongst those unjustly deprived of their full entitlement.
They are members of the long-closed British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS), which has a £2.3 billion investment reserve potentially available for distribution to members or immediate family with entitlement.
Mr Mundell represents former coalfields in Upper Nithsdale and South Lanarkshire as part of his constituency and has been actively supporting the campaign.
He states it was particularly galling that the UK Labour Government overlooked the BCSSS funds, a second pension scheme serving the former nationalised industry, whilst the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) investment reserve, was cleared to distribute their investment reserve by Chancellor Rachel Reeves last year.
The local MP was updated at Westminster on the situation when he recently met retired Kirkconnel former miner and later senior coal industry worker Robert Jardine, a BCSSS member, and James Grant, a trustee of the fund and Scotland / North East England representative.
Mr Mundell said: “For whatever reason, the Government committed to swiftly distribute the MPS surplus but overlooked the equally deserving BCSSS members.
“In contrast the BCSSS, which includes many miners who moved to more supervisory roles later in their career together with support staff, has been left waiting far too long for a decision from the Treasury.
“The delays are very unfair on the members and it is particularly sad for those who reach the end of their life before they have been able to access this element of a pension they may have contributed towards for many years.”
Mr Mundell plans to further lobby Treasury Ministers urging them to swiftly facilitate the release and appropriate backdating of any funds due to members or entitled next of kin.
The BCSSS website states that it is one of the largest occupational pension schemes in the UK, providing benefits for more than 45,000 pensioners and deferred members.
