Ex-mineworker calls for share of pension surplus

A former mineworker has urged the government to share out a pension scheme surplus, leading to extra pension payments for thousands of former staff.

Stuart Porthouse, who spent 32 years working at five collieries in north-east England, said the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) pension scheme had been "neglected" for years.

Earlier this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves addressed a surplus in the separate Mineworkers' Pension Scheme (MPS) but no date has been set to look at the BCSSS.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said the two pension funds operated differently and it "must consider the two schemes separately".

Mr Porthouse, who lives in Herrington, Sunderland, said he wanted to know why the government had not yet looked at the second scheme.

"We've been neglected," he said.

"This has been a promise in the previous Labour manifestos in 2017 and 2019, we need to see it brought up again."

The government agreed to guarantee mine workers' pensions when the industry was privatised in 1994.

It also said it would put aside some pension fund profits to make sure there were enough funds in subsequent years.

Ex-miners in the MPS scheme campaigned for years for money to be returned to them and, in the Autumn Budget, the government pledged to give back about £1.5bn to 112,000 former coal miners and their families.

However, the agreement did not apply to those signed up to BCSSS.

The government said it would "review" the scheme in November, but no firm commitment has been made.

Mr Porthouse, who worked in engineering roles, praised the government for looking at the MPS but said it was "unfair" it had not done the same for the BCSSS, from which it had taken £3.2bn.

"There's another injustice taking place here and they need to get a move on," he said.

"Every year more of us are dying.

"I think there's only around 40,000 miners left in the scheme."

The DESNZ said it was "open to considering" proposals from the trustees of the BCSSS scheme and added "the government has taken no money from the scheme's surpluses since 2015".

A spokesperson said: "All of that surplus is used purely to fund future pensions."

They did not respond when asked when a decision would be announced.

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