Welcome to the summer newsletter. In our last issue we referred to income tax and deferred occupational pensions lump sum payments. Tax should be levied in the year in which the occupational pension was earned. It is possible to request this from HMRC. We have heard of someone who did this receiving a refund of more than £4,000, so it is worth the effort involved.
If you want further information, please contact the Secretary, who will pass your query onto our “expert”.
OUR NEXT GROUP MEETING WILL BE HELD ON 12 JUNE 2024 – see below.
At the March AGM Linda Martin was re-elected as Chair, Pam Flynn as Secretary, Harry Brett as Treasurer and Peter Sanger as the Membership Secretary for another year. The committee elected are those who attend the meeting – Dorothy France, Colin Elderkin, John Jenkinson and Robin Turier.
DATES OF FUTURE GROUP MEETINGS to the end of the year
All meetings will be held at the Methodist Central Hall, Oldham Street, Manchester M1 1JQ starting at 11.00am and finishing by 1.00pm
· 12 June 2024 National AGM preparatory meetings/ consideration of motions for submission,
· 18 September 2024 – Consideration of the published AGM Agenda/Mandating
· 23 October 2024 – Report Back from the AGM
· tba December 2024 – Christmas Lunch
The national Annual General Meeting will take place at Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, commencing in the afternoon of Wednesday 11 October and finishing in the afternoon of Thursday 12 October 2024.
200 CLUB WINNERS
The monthly winners are:
MARCH – 1st Prize – Mrs E S Prickett 2nd Prize – Bob Ellis
APRIL – 1st Prize – Bob Ryan 2nd Prize – Barbara Stott
MAY – 1st Prize – Colin Hartley 2nd Prize – Angela Unsworth
It is not too late to join for the remainder of the cycle (9 months). Please send a cheque for £9 to me at 46 Severn Way, Holmes Chapel, Crewe, CW4 8FT
or direct to the Bank Sort Code 16-12-11, Account No 10177528 to CSPA Manchester. Of course, if you would like to send a donation to Group funds then this would be gratefully received. – HARRY BRETT
POLICY NEWS
General Election and “Later Life Ambitions”
A general election is due by the end of the year, with the television political commentator Robert Peston indicating that he thinks the date is 24 November. CSPA is a partner in Later Life Ambitions which brings together the voices of over a quarter of a million pensioners through our member organisations – the National Federation of Occupational Pensioners, the Civil Service Pensioners’ Alliance, and the National Association of Retired Police Officers.
Later Life Ambitions has six key asks in a better vision for older people.
Our call for Action is available online in the document “Standing By Pensioners, A Manifesto for Later Life.” You may find it useful to use in correspondence with prospective candidates for election.
Website – www.cspa.co.uk
Pensions Inequality
CSPA along with other organisations representing the interests of older people is becoming concerned at the gap that has emerged between people in receipt of the “old” State Pension (pre-2016) and the “new” single State Pension (for those retiring after 6 April 2016). Currently, the gap is £2 per week. Due to different indexation, this gap will continue to grow.
Combine this situation with the gender gap in the state pension and it isn’t difficult to see that, for example, older women pensioners will become progressively poorer in relation to younger pension recipients.
The biggest problem with both the two-tier and the single state pension is that they simply aren’t enough to live on. We will be keeping an eye on the situation and
campaigning as necessary alongside colleagues such as the National Pensioners Convention.
Members will no doubt have read that the Ombudsman has found in favour of the WASPI women and referred the matter to Parliament. It remains to be seen whether the present, or the next, government will feel able to recompense the women affected.
Fuel Poverty
In previous issues we have highlighted cost of living and energy price increases. Within Greater Manchester there is an organisation keeping an eye on fuel poverty. We will give you more information as we move towards the winter months.
REGIONAL NEWS
Our regional meeting, with David Luxton Deputy General Secretary, will take place on Thursday 4th July from 11.30-2.30 at Methodist Central Hall, Manchester. See page 1 for the full address. This meeting offers a valuable opportunity to be brought bang up to date with the issues with which CSPA officials and the executive are dealing. All members are welcome.
Lunch will be provided. so, if there are any special dietary requirements, then please advise Regional Representative Harry Brett (contact details given at the end of this newsletter) and advise him of your attendance, so that he orders sufficient food.
NATIONAL NEWS
The recent election for a new vice chair replacing Don Makepeace, who has resigned due to ill health has taken place and the votes were as follows:
Roisin Lilley 12078 votes
Les Calder 7371 votes.
Therefore Roisin Lilley (who previously held the one of the posts reserved for women on the NEC) has been duly elected. As the new round of elections are so close, October, there will not be a separate election for the place reserved for women. This will take place together with the remainder of the NEC elections at the AGM.
The CSPA have several of the NEC on the working Parties of the NPC, they are:
Digital Exclusion – David Luxton
Finance/Structure – Mike Sparham
Pensions and Income – Brian Sturtevant and Christine Haswell
In addition, I have been nominated to sit on the Transport working party and Pam Flynn for the LGBT working party by the Northwest Pensioners Association.
The CSPA joined with the NARPO in a parliamentary drop-in for MP’s, to support their calling for reform to police survivors’ pensions, which also affects civil servants, who presently lose their widow(er)s pension if they co-habit or re-marry after losing their partner.
Pam Flynn Group Secretary stiritup298@gmail.com
Harry Brett Regional Representative, Executive Council h_brett@sky.com 07999 874864
