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£37m hole in police pensions
Friday 1st January 2010, 10:30AM GMT.
Taxpayers filled a £37.8 million black hole in the pension funds of three Midlands police forces in just one year, it was revealed today.
West Midlands Police received a special Home Office grant of £14.9m to help it meet its pension costs – up from £5.3m on the year before.
Staffordshire Police received £11.7m last year, compared to £4.9m two years previously. And West Mercia Police received a payment of £11.2m, up from £3.1m.
Nationally, official Home Office figures show that the police pension funding gap has more than doubled in two years.
Last year, £481.9m was paid out to prop up pension schemes, up from £201m.
The size of the government bail-out is now worth 11 per cent of the total annual payments made into the scheme – raising questions about its long-term viability.
A majority of private companies have now closed their final salary pension scheme to new members because of costs and many have pension deficits running into tens of millions of pounds. The national age of retirement is also set to rise.
But policemen and women maintain their pension benefits, with officers who joined before the April 2006 reforms being allowed to retire on a full pension after 30 years service, regardless of age, or after 25 years service when they are over 55.
Officers who joined after 2006 can retire on a full index-linked pension plus a lump sum equal to four years pension after 35 years service once they have reached 55.
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Why is this issue???? Gordon Brown and the rest of the Government get free pensions paid for by us, those pensions are deposited into a separate fund set up to be for the benefit of Government Ministers, any shortfall in the required level of the fund is made up by the British Taxpayer, unlike the working class the amount that can be held in each MP’s pension fund is not capped.
When and MP, collects their pension its paid totally TAX FREE!!!!!!!
Part Time Councillors are entitled to FREE PENSIONS under government laws, see below!!!!
“TAXPAYERS TOP UP COUNCILLORS’ PENSIONS”
“Taxpayers are paying into pensions for councillors across the region, the Express & Star can reveal.
Elected politicians at town halls are taking advantage of a special pension scheme to give them handouts after they retire.
The pensions, which were set up by the Government and started in 2003, are funded by taxpayers and are handed out on top of any pensions they might have for full-time jobs.
Wolverhampton City Council has 14 councillors signed up”!!!!!!!!!
“The Taxpayers Alliance has criticised the councillors as “careerists” who are trying to retire with public sector pensions from roles that are essentially voluntary”
Before making an issue of the police pensions, remember the police work in some of the worst conditions ever, they work terribly unsociable shift patterns, are expected to clean up the mess left by the dregs of society, and more importantly, Work FULL TIME.
Jim of Bearwood.
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Thats ok then must look after the corporation/company workers pensions and perks, explains the use of head camera’s to get more funds.
What happens about the 40,000 OAPs dying every year from lack of food or heat because they can’t afford both??. This country is out and out sick and the sooner we get these corrupt scum out of the House of Crooks and bent government authorities the sooner we can get back to looking after our own properly.
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Roy,
What have your ramblings got to do with the story?
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Dave,
Ramblings?? are you a police officer by any chance?, my ramblings as you call them are from a very very concerned citizen, don’t you find it rather sick that the government can find 37.8 million to fill up the black hole of police pensions but can’t find the money to stop 40,000 pensioners dying from lack of food or heat because they can’t afford both.
How long will it be befor another black hole appears in the police pension fund that will need filling up with public money yet again. Strange how government tops up MPs, Ministers, Mandarins, civil servants, council CEOs and councillors pension black holes up, but thousands who have paid into a work pension scheme have lost their pensions, or is this okay for you as you are most likely one of the civil servants who don’t give a toss for the public?.
I refered to the police camera’s carried on officers because as we see week after week it always ends up with motorists being the vicims as will these camera’s be used for.
I refer to the scum in the House of Commons because they have sold the public out big time but have made sure there is cash in the banks that can’t be touched by anyone to cover their pensions.Did you not see the aricle about 3 or 4 Mandarins who had put several million of public funds into their personal pension scheme and then they complained.
Our police forces are a total joke look at the recent records where it was claimed round 40% of crimes in Staffordshire were never recorded or given a crime number even. I feel sorry for a lot of officers because as they say they didn’t join the police force to be clerks and sit in office’s.
Some of us are doing something about it Dave are you?? or are you another one that shouts his mouth off and does nothing but try to ridicule others that do:))
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The whole issue of public pensions is subject to much uninformed and ignorant comment that one hardly knows where to begin. As a recipient of a public pension allow me to highlight a few facts.
Applicants in the 1960′s, when they took public jobs were often told at interview that the salary was inferior to the private sector but they would receive a good pension with certain benefits. Those people are now retiring and being castigated by the press and general public concerning “fat cat” pensions – the pensions promised and contracted.
In the 1990′s those entering public service received salaries compatible or better than the private sector and their pension entitlements have been reduced accordingly.
It should also be remembered that many public servants are highly educated, professional people on a par with their private sector counterparts. Whereas the private sector enjoy perks such as company cars, telephone, children’s education, BUPA membership – all paid for by the company, none of this is available to the public sector. The only “perk” they receive is a decent pension and apparently the public believe they are not even entitled to that.
If public sector people had cars as perks all hell would be let loose. “Fleecing the taxpayer” would be the cry. However, when you go to the supermarket and exit with your trolly which has cost you say £100, stop and think of how much of that £100 is paying for managers’ perks.
Basically the public want their servants to go to work for nothing and live off fresh air
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HERE HERE PAUL MULLERY. Most people think public workers arn’t entitled to anything. Well we are and like Paul says we don’t get company cars and bupa benefits. And before you all go off on one and say its tax payers money….Who pays for private sector workers pay???? Who buys the products sold in shops???? Or manufactured in factories?? Might it still be out of the general publics purses??? Who gets the fat cat bonuses??? Banks maybe??? with who’s money again????
The police work for their money and are entitled to a good pension when they retire so i have no problem with them at all. Councillors?? Well that might be different..even though some do their best to serve their public!!
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Paul,
When people took public jobs in the 6os it was for security or they couldn’t cut it in real jobs, also in the 60s a pension was a pension. Who authorised large pay rises for public servants?? themselves, who authorised the pensions they have now? themselves.
Please don’t make silly remarks about public workers not getting cars, look into Cannock services and see how their car pool works, several years ago they were getting £2,500 per annum if they used their own cars for council work, they received 40pence per mile they then went on a strike by refusing to drive their own cars if they were not given 50 or 60 pence per mile which as i was told they got.
Are you seriously telling me that Shoesmith who created the baby P fiasco is highly intelligent and deserves £100 grand a year. Bliar and Brown employed more public servants than was ever needed to gain votes by handing out excessive pensions and perks to its workers.
Look in the Guardian if you want to see ridiculous jobs and ridiculous pay in the Civil service its a bloody joke so is your reply by insulting workers by claiming they are not highly intelligent enough to get a job in the civil service.
Get in the real world and not the pretend and cushy one your are in.
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Cutting it in the real jobs has nothing what so ever to do with council jobs! I wored in the private sector for many years. Too many greedy bosses only interested in themselves Mr Jenkins.
At least the public sector looks after its work force and treats them like people unlike the private sector that treats them like money making slaves to the cause!!
As for cars..yes we do get car allowance or casual user allowance. No shiny new plates Mr jenkins or new cars though. No bonuses due to equal pay, and constantly slagged off by most enviuos people who suffer from council job envy. Oh yes they are safer jobs to have and I would recommend a public sector job to anyone. Its better than slaving for the private sector and showing years of loyalty and then being chucked on the redundancy pile with the best of them while the bosses get richer and greedier..Yes its just like the public sectorbosses really sn’t it???
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StJoe,
You are spot on when you claim the public sector looks after its own, pensions they could never dream of in the private sector all nicely guaranteed by government, sick leave at an average of 28 days a year i believe which most public sector workers seem to take if the records of Staffordshire Council are to be believed.
Envious of public jobs i don’t think so sickened by its greed is what i would call it, councils claim they have no money for special schools, OAPs who have paid National Insurance all their lives tossed out on the streets because councils need to continually fill their pension black hole, mustn’t let a few deaths interfere with our pensions and perks must we.
Glad to see you have admitted to the car allowances as most times on the Express and Star blogs public sector workers claim poverty and they claim they don’t get perks, £2,600 per annum buys a nice car.
Your type are on the way out STJoe thankfully people are sick and tired of the lies and greed you show.
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Sorry Roy you are misguided I think. So we are on our way out?? I don’t think so Roy. I work in education so what you going to do ?? Close all schools down?? Public workers are far from the greedy bankers who have nearly finished off this country in the private sector!! Councillors might very well be greedy but public workers provide services. Most are good workers and I speak from experience ROY!! Not hatred! Yes we have a great sickpay scheme, and why not. Thats something the private sector shuns. God forbid we pay people in the private sector if they don’t clock in eh roy??
Ok Roy lets get rid of all public workers shall we and I do mean ALL public workers. See how long you last before your little world falls apart. No police, Fire, NHS No education No council services at ALL!!! Have a good think about what you are saying because I’m sure its just council job envy you suffer with and probably you don’t like councillors and thats fair enough in my book.
If loosing all Public worker services is ok with you then fine…Live in a world of anarchy and fight off your neighbours when crime takes over.
AS for pensioner tossed out on the streets??/ I don’t see any Roy
GREED ROY… None more greedy than the private sector with constant increases in fuel costs, housing costs, bonuses for fat cat bankers who have failed in their jobs but still get the big money. Your bankers are getting millions of pounds worth of bonuses off yours and my money for a failed service. Try tapping them for better private pensions. Your council although not perfect does supply a service to everyone.
Sik leave in the private sector is just as bad. Most people are not happy with their employers and the way they are treated these days. Profit counts and the more for the bosses the better ROY!! It made my old company cough i can tell you when Minimum wages was bought in. Never enough money for a wage rise for all, but they made sure that they had enough to keep in with the law ROY!!
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ROY..You want to know about greed in the private sector??
My old company had a private pension plan with a large insurance company(No names mentioned) They anounnced that they were cutting our pensions down due to the economic climate ( A few years ago not during this reccession) They then announced in the same breath that their CEO was about to recievd a half million pound bonus!!! Thats in the private sector, So don’t lecture to us in the public sector about greed ROY!!
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STJoe,
Misguided i don’t think so Joe, envious not a bit, hatred none at all just anger at the way WE have allowed the government and public sector to destroy our countries morals and ethics.
OAP homes closed through lack of funds look in Wolverhampton for just one Joe, children leaving schools in their thousands unable to read or write, OAP own homes being sold to put them in homes belonging to doctors etc, police forces that are a joke crime rising every year since 1997, admins at hospitals spending billions on agency staff rather than get dedicated nurses in,agecy staff running council services. Lets lose the lot and start afresh but hey i forgot when someone suggested getting rid of useless teachers the unions said we will be out on strike if you try that.
Unions threatening to close down all services if any government tries to get rid of useless public workers. I think the anarchy you refer to is with your own StJoe.
I’m a realist not a dreamer and if you think your type are not on the way out Joe you are obviously not reading the public mood. Lets see what happens shortly.
Police forces had no right to expect the PUBLIC to bail out their pension funds and its a disgrace its happened but as i stated why should a few deaths worry the greedy hogs in the public sector.
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