196 Rushcliffe mineworkers and their families are set to receive a significant uplift to their pensions after the Government confirmed it will return the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) investment reserve to its members, overturning a historic injustice and ensuring fair payouts for years to come.
The move will mean a 41% boost to the annual pensions of 40,000 former mineworkers across the UK – an average increase of £100 per week for each member. The trustees of the scheme are expected to make the first uplifted payments to members before the end of the year.
Of the roughly 40,000 BCSSS members, about 40% are women.
James Naish, Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, has been campaigning about the BCSSS injustice alongside other MPs representing coalfield areas. It is the group’s second successful campaign after 110,000 members of a different scheme – the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme – received £1.5 billion from the Government in October 2024.
Welcoming the news, James Naish MP said: “I’ve received emails from dozens of Rushcliffe families who have waited years for a Government to recognise that every penny in the BCSSS was owed to former British Coal employees. Their relentless campaigning has been admirable and means that more pension contributions will be going back into the pockets of retired mineworkers – where it belongs.”
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “We owe the mining communities who powered this country a debt of gratitude. For far too long the Government has failed to deliver justice for former mineworkers and their families.
“I am delighted that we are rightfully transferring the BCSSS investment reserve back to former mineworkers. I pay tribute to the campaigners who have fought for a fair deal – without them, this would not have happened.”
Chris Kitchen, General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), also welcomed the change. He said: “The NUM welcomes the BCSSS announcement in the Budget and the Labour Government’s recognition that there were two pension schemes in the mining industry that suffered historic injustice, which they have sought to correct.
“The additional pensions this will provide will benefit not just the pensioners but our former mining communities devastated by the closure of our industry.”
