Hi folks,
Although we will not be back in parliament for a while longer, there are still things that we can be doing. I appreciate that with the two major political parties appearing to be heading for either La-La Land or complete meltdown - it may feel like we are pushing water uphill.
I came across this quote the other day and it struck me that I should share it with you as it describes the development of our campaign as I see it: “Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” Francis of Assisi
It has always been necessary for the serving government of whatever political persuasion, to amend the 1987 regulations to allow police widows to find love again, and to keep the measure of financial security that their husband's paid for on their behalf, and in a moment of madness I decided that it was necessary for me as Col's widow do something about it.
After failing to find anyone that could help me to launch an online petition – I discovered that with a bit of determination it was possible for me to do it by myself; and in turn the petition made it possible to contact thousands of signatories. You answered the call and thus our team was born.
As a result of doing what was possible, lobbying our MPs, speaking with the Policing Minister, the Home Secretary and the Prime Minister etc. etc. we have achieved that which I had been assured was impossible; we have secured lifelong pensions for the eligible police widows whose loved ones were killed on duty and had been members of the 1987 Police Pension Scheme.
We all have days on which we feel the strain of campaigning, on those days please take a moment to remind yourself that you have made an incredible difference to the lives of some members of this team. You have by your efforts already achieved the impossible.
Now it is necessary for us to keep our campaign in the political consciousness; we cannot sit back and wait for politicians to resume business as usual post BREXIT. We must keep doing what is possible and that is to ask others to table questions on our behalf.
Some of the team have received replies from the Archbishop of Canterbury's office and their letters have been forwarded to the Bishop of Durham; he asked this question in the House of Lords on our behalf on 23rd January 2019:
“To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service on 24 January 2018 (123402), what plans they have, if any, to amend the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 to equalise the support given to the widows of police officers.”
This was the answer that he received on 6th February 2019 from Baroness Williams of Trafford The Minister of State, Home Department, Minister for Equalities (Department for International Development):
“There are no plans to make any further changes to survivor benefits for police pension schemes. On 18 January 2016, the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 were amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers in England and Wales who have died on duty and who qualified for a survivor pension after 1 April 2015 to continue to receive their survivors’ benefits for life.
Successive governments have been clear that we have a general presumption against making retrospective changes to public service pension schemes. However the Government believes the arguments for making a limited exception for the widows of police officers who died on duty are sufficiently compelling in this case.”
Although this was a well worded question the reply was all too predictable. It is fantastic that questions are still being asked on our behalf, but they need to be the right questions i.e. moving on from questions that have been asked in the past.
Question 123402 was tabled by Conor McGinn MP for St Helen's North on 17th January 2018:
“To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of police widows and widowers retaining their right to a pension for life in the event of their re-marriage or co-habitation. Survivors of officers who were members of the 2006 and 2015 police pension schemes are, since 2006, paid survivor pensions for life.”
His question was answered on 24th January 2018 by Nick Hurd the Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service - unfortunately the answer was no more encouraging and all too familiar:
“On 18 January 2016, the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 were amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers in England and Wales who have died on duty and who qualified for a survivor pension after 1 April 2015 to continue to receive their survivors’ benefits for life.
Successive governments have been clear that we have a general presumption against making retrospective changes to public service pension schemes. However the Government believes that the arguments for making this change in respect of police officers who died on duty are sufficiently compelling to allow a limited exception in this case.
There are no plans to make any further changes to survivor benefits for police pension schemes.”
Should your MP agree to table a question please get in touch and between us we can agree upon some important questions that have not been asked before, or reword some that have been asked, but have not yet been answered; questions asked need to be specific.
If questions are repeated the answers are simply a copy and paste exercise for the Home Office; the less work involved in providing the answers - the less impact they will have.
Following discussion with Harry Fletcher (advisor to Plaid Cymru) Liz Saville-Roberts MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd tabled a number of questions on our behalf on 17th January 2019.
They were answered on 25th January 2019 by Nick Hurd the Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service :
Q 209868
"To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his department has estimated the potential cost of granting lifelong pensions for all police widows in England and Wales."
Q 209871
"To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the cost per annum of reinstating widows pensions that have been revoked under the 1987 Police pension regulations for each Police Service in England and Wales."
A 209868 and 209871
"We have estimated with the Government’s Actuary’s Department, by using historical actuarial data, that the total cost of retaining benefits for all police survivors would increase the police scheme liabilities by around £144m. Reinstatement of pensions already surrendered, would increase the police scheme liabilities to around £198m. No annual estimate is available."
Q 209869
"To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police widows pensions ceased due to remarriage in each year since 1987."
A 209869
"The Home Office does not hold information on the number of survivors’ pensions surrendered on remarriage or cohabitation. Detailed information on the police pension scheme is held by each Police Pension Authority."
Q 209870
"To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the differences are in provision for police widows in the police pension schemes of (a) 1987, (b) 2006 and (c) 2015."
A 209870
"All three occupational police pension schemes provide valuable benefits for survivors on the death of the member. The 2006 and 2015 scheme benefits are broadly the same. The main differences between these schemes and the 1987 scheme are: benefits paid for life, rather than ceasing on remarriage or cohabitation; benefits for partners as well as spouses and civil partners; and lower survivor benefits as a proportion of the pension payable to the member."
Q 209872
"To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the current average police widows pension under the 1987 police pension regulations for each police service in England and Wales."
A 209872
"The average survivor’s pension as at 31 March 2016 was £9,450 a year – while this is not exclusively attributable to the 1987 police pension scheme, most pensions in payment in 2016 will be in respect of that scheme."
Q 209873
"To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many serving police officers in each police force in England and Wales are members of the Police pension scheme 1987."
A 209873
"As at 31 March 2016 there were 82,268 serving police officers who were active members of the 1987 police pension scheme, including those who had moved to the 2015 scheme for future pension accrual."
Q 209902
"To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police widows have had their pensions revoked under the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 because they have remarried or moved in with a new partner for each police service in England and Wales."
A 209902
"The Home Office does not hold information on the number of survivors’ pensions surrendered on remarriage or cohabitation. Detailed information on the police pension scheme is held by each Police Pension Authority."
I think that Liz's questions demonstrate that specific questions attract more specific answers, and require a degree of additional effort on behalf of the Home Office.
Currently our most burning questions are:
How were the estimates of £144m and £54m arrived at?
What figures were used and what methodology employed?
It seems to me from the answers to Liz's questions that there is a great deal of relevant data that is currently unavailable to the Home Office.
I would also like to know:
For how many years into the future, the Home Office and the Government's Actuary's Department have estimated that there will be widows covered by the 1987 Police Pension Scheme and therefore still in receipt of a pension?
I am convinced that if we refuse to refrain from doing what is necessary and possible - the impossible must surely be within our grasp for a second time.
Best wishes as always,
Cathryn
CathrynHall11@gmail.com