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NEW ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY APPOINTED

We welcome Lisa Ray to the staff of CSPA head office, who has recently been appointed as the new Assistant General Secretary. Lisa will be assisting CSPA General Secretary, Mike Duggan, with pension issues, and in the coming months take over responsibility as Secretary to the Campaign Committee, and also for health and care issues. Lisa's contact details can be found on the contacts page.

CSPA GROUP TRAVEL INSURANCE SCHEME - LAUNCHED FROM 1 APRIL 2013

Following the announcement contained in the Spring 2013 edition of The Pensioner we are pleased to announce that the CSPA Group Travel Insurance call centre can now be contacted on 0800 223 0972 and that the webpage referred to can also be accessed by clicking on the link below or by inserting the following address into the web browser you use: www.healthinsurancegroup.co.uk/cspatravel or click here

INFLATION

In the year to April 2013 the CPI had fallen to 2.4% down from 2.8% in March, and the RPI was 2.9% down from 3.3% in March . The two new inflation indices recently introduced, CPI (H) which includes housing costs (housing costs are not included in the main CPI index) had decreased to 2.2%, down from 2.6% in March, and RPI (J) which uses the CPI geometric formula had reduced to 2.9% down from 3.3% in March.. (Both of these inflation indices are regarded as experimental to enable the ONS to ascertain their robustness over the next few months. It is anticipated that these inflation measures should be confirmed by the Summer).

In the year to March 2013 total pay (including bonuses) had risen by 0.4% and regular pay (excluding bonuses) had also risen by 0.8%.

(The status of the RPI has been downgraded by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) because the use of the Carli' arithmetic formula is deemed to no longer meet international standards. RPI will continue to be compiled by the ONS to enable its use by defined benefit pension schemes that are linked to RPI. RPI will continue to be available also as the measure of inflation for gilt edge securities and for use by public utility providers as the measure on which they base their annual price increases.)

PENSIONS UPRATING FOR 2013

In the light of the September 2012 CPI figure, Civil Service pensions and the Second State Pension rose by 2.2% from April.

Under the Government’s "triple lock" the basic state retirement pension rose by 2.5% from April.

THE CASE FOR UNIVERSAL PENSIONER BENEFITS

Universal benefits are under attack from politicians and the media. The National Pensioners Convention has published a useful report explaining why the universal principle should be preserved.

FREE TRAVEL TO BE RESTORED FOR 60-YEAR OLDS IN LONDON

SOCIAL CARE WHITE PAPER 11 JULY 2012

In common with many other organisations, we have long been campaigning for a properly funded system of Social Care and Support throughout the UK. At our 2011 Annual General Meeting we agreed policy in the following terms.

This Annual General Meeting notes the Final Report of the Dilnot Commission on Funding of Care and Support and agrees that implementation of its recommendations would provide a reasonable basis for the provision of care and support services throughout England.

This Annual General Meeting instructs the Executive Council to continue to work with Age UK and others to secure the improvements recommended by the Commission, including a full universal deferred payment scheme.

On 11 July 2012 the Government issued its Social Care White PaperCaring for our future: reforming care and support. The White Paper largely endorses the Dilnot proposals but the Government has delayed its decision on the crucial issue of funding until the Comprehensive Spending Review, which is expected late in 2013.

You can find out more about the white paper here .

Age UK's summary of the White Paper and its initial reaction can be found here

We agree entirely with that reaction and I will not try to paraphrase it.

Age UK’s detailed briefing may be found here

We will continue to work together with Age UK and its allies in order to secure a properly funded system of Social Care and Support.

ACCRUED PENSION ENTITLEMENTS

The courts have ruled that occupational pensions are deferred salary and, therefore, are protected by contract. READ MORE