Former Mineworker Advocates for Distribution of Pension Scheme Surplus

An ex-mineworker has called upon the government to distribute a surplus from a pension scheme, which would result in additional payments for thousands of former employees. Stuart Porthouse, who dedicated 32 years to employment at five collieries located in north-east England, stated that the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) had been “neglected” for years. While Chancellor Rachel Reeves addressed a surplus within the distinct Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) earlier this year, a specific date for reviewing the BCSSS has not yet been established. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) indicated that the two pension funds function dissimilarly and that it “must consider the two schemes separately”. Mr. Porthouse, a resident of Herrington, Sunderland, expressed his desire to understand why the government had not yet examined the second scheme. He asserted, “We’ve been neglected.” He added, “This has been a promise in the previous Labour manifestos in 2017 and 2019, we need to see it brought up again.” The government committed to safeguarding mine workers’ pensions upon the industry’s privatization in 1994. It also stated its intention to allocate a portion of pension fund profits to ensure sufficient funds in future years. Former miners participating in the MPS scheme advocated for years for the return of funds, and during the Autumn Budget, the government committed to returning approximately £1.5bn to 112,000 ex-coal miners and their relatives. Nevertheless, this arrangement did not extend to individuals enrolled in the BCSSS. The government indicated it would “review” the scheme in November, yet no definitive pledge has been issued. Mr. Porthouse, whose career involved engineering roles, commended the government for addressing the MPS but characterized it as “unfair” that similar action had not been taken for the BCSSS, from which £3.2bn had been drawn. He stated, “There’s another injustice taking place here and they need to get a move on.” He added, “Every year more of us are dying.” He estimated, “I think there’s only around 40,000 miners left in the scheme.” The DESNZ affirmed it was “open to considering” proposals submitted by the trustees of the BCSSS scheme and further stated that “the government has taken no money from the scheme’s surpluses since 2015”. A spokesperson commented, “All of that surplus is used purely to fund future pensions.” No response was provided when inquiries were made regarding the announcement date of a decision. Connect with BBC Sunderland across X, Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram. Submit your story suggestions to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.