Eleven Million Voters Can't Be Wrong

Pension Decrease April 2010

When Alistair Darling gave his Pre-Budget Report he said that State Pensions would be rising by 2.5% in April. He omitted to mention that the rise would apply to the basic element of the Pension only and not to any contracted out payments/SERPS, or any graduated benefits.

Local Pensioners' Groups, in partnership with the National Pensioners' Convention have decided it's time for the worm to turn and are sending the letter below to Alistair Darling.

If you're a pensioner or you've got family or friends affected by this - please get involved & contact Alistair. Together we CAN bring about change. There's eleven million votes in it........

Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP
Chancellor of the Exchequer
HM Treasury
1 Horse Guards Road
London
SW1A 2HQ

Dear Chancellor

As a pensioner in receipt of graduated pension and/or SERPS I am writing to express my anger at your decision not to uprate this part of my state pension in April 2010.

Some years ago the Government committed itself to a guaranteed 2.5% minimum increase in the state pension, and your decision to only award this to the basic element is both unprecedented and extremely damaging. Furthermore, when making your pre-Budget statement in the House of Commons you did not make it clear that this year’s increase in the state pension would only be partial.

Millions of pensioners in receipt of an additional pension rely on this to maintain a modest standard of living, and believed that when contributing to SERPS they were entering a contract that would guarantee an additional pension that would be subject to an annual increase. You have now reneged on that contract and as advocated by the National Pensioners Convention, I urge you to reverse your decision in the forthcoming Budget.

Yours sincerely