Deprived Pensioners Association
We set up the DPA to fight for a change in the law to put an end to the apparent discrimination and ensure equal indexation for all PPF members.
CLARIFICATION
At the time of posting, all the content of this site was true to the best of our knowledge but, as the years have moved on, some elements, a small percentage of the total words, no longer meet that test. The attitudes of the parties have modified. The DPA team have become even better informed. We have also become more alert to the need for care in using and interpreting words.
This particularly applies to statements in the text relating to age discrimination. "This is age discrimination" must be read not as a statement of fact, but as an assertion - a shorthand for, "we believe that, on the facts, a court would rule that it is age discrimination". It cannot be taken as a statement of fact, as no court has made such a judgment.
Accordingly, we restate and clarify our request/demand to the PPF (and ultimately to the Government) for payment of indexation accruing from service pre-1997. It is not a claim based on age discrimination. It is an appeal based on the more general grounds of fair treatment on behalf of elderly people who have been unjustly suffering (some for nearly twenty years) the erosion by inflation of their pension compensation payments. The Select Committee found that this "non-indexation of pre-1997 benefits has had a significant impact on PPF members and disproportionately on older members and women". A fair and compassionate government will surely want to right this wrong.
Other significant points,
(1) The attitude of the PPF has mellowed considerably from that characterised in this site . There is now a good working relationship between DPA and PPF.
(2) This can be seen in the wording of some passages in the PPF 2023-4 annual report, recently published. It seems that PPF now welcome any future government action to consider PPF and FAS indexation rules.
(3) The PPF surplus reserves have risen by more than £1 billion to £13.2 billion - yet another reason for recognising pre-1997 indexation. (4) If this appeal yields no result, we reserve our position on legal action as described.
It is important that those with service prior to 1997 go to this page
Calling all PPF/FAS members
The Pension Protection Fund: was set up to make payments to people whose company pensions schemes have gone bust. While the payments made to younger PPF members benefit from indexation (extra money to take account of inflation), there are 60,000+ people aged over 80 who get NO INDEXATION, with an additional 80,000 who have decreasing indexation and a further 120,000 FAS members in the same situation. This is age discrimination against our oldest pensioners.
We, a small group of these people, have set up the DPA to fight for changes in the law to put an end to this discrimination and give equal treatment to all PPF members in respect of indexation.
This injustice arises from a strange rule that pensions earned before 1997 would have no entitlement to indexation. We are working towards a legal challenge to get rid of this rule. This is not a trivial matter, particularly with indexation having risen so high.
There are 60,000 PPF members without ANY indexation
We must work together to right this wrong.
We are all suffering from the pre-1997 rule.
Working together, we will challenge the law.
Together, we win fairness and better pensions!
In addition to 60,000 PPF members with zero indexation, there are a further 80,000 with only partial indexation. And over 120,000 FAS members in a similar situation. We are fighting for them all.
Broken - the Secretary of State’s commitment to Parliament that promises in company pension schemes would be honoured.
Broken - the link between costs and income which had been conferred by indexation in those schemes.
Broken - the trust of members in the PPF which is not assisting us to right this wrong, but opposing our efforts.
Parliament
There is compelling evidence that the ministers and MPs who voted this into law were not aware of the inclusion in the 2004 Act of the words which have led to this discrimination.
Pension Protection Fund
The issue has been raised with PPF at the highest level. They have refused to accept there is age discrimination - despite the issue being picked up in the press by the Financial Times, among others.
Dept for Work and Pensions
Representations have been made to the Department for Work and Pensions, so far without success. The DWP doesn't want to accept responsibility.
We are working to bring an action for Judicial Review to get the law changed.
For this, we want to raise as much as £75, 000 As from 31 July 2024, this fundraising is paused at approximately £60,000. This is becausneed for court proceedings. In this context, thchanges to the information given in the section Calling All PPF/FAS Members. Please see the new General Note at thebeginning of that section
There will, however, be many intermediate steps before we get that far. We need to apply for leave for a Judicial Review. We need to work on the politics of the case. (The best outcome will be if the Government recognise the need for change before legal proceedings are fully under way.) To set this whole process in motion, we are close to our current target of £40,000. We expect to raise this to £60,000.
Financial Assistance Scheme
The FAS caters for people whose company pensions failed before the Pension Protection Fund had come into being. It was a relationship directly with the Dept for Work and Pensions. Some years later, however, the PPF were appointed to administer this scheme.
The FAS scheme displays a range of injustices which do not apply to PPF members but there is a key factor in common. The pre-1997 rule on indexation is being applied to them too. We are therefore joining FAS with us in this campaign. They too have been betrayed by broken promises and fractured trust. If you had service before 1997, you should go to this link.
How can you help?
Support the campaign
We hope you will want to make a donation. Please read about our campaign and why you would want to donate generously.
We are fund raising with CrowdJustice which is specially tailored for legal action. This means we don't handle the money, it goes to our legal team at Edwin Coe LLP.
Spread the word
Talk to family members, friends and associates, direct them to this site – and ask them to reach out to their friends.
Simply ask: Are you with the Pension Protected Fund or the Financial Assistance Scheme? If they are, direct them to this website to learn about our demand for indexation.
Follow and Share our cause across social media. To raise this money, people have to know that we exist. You really can help.
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