Responding to the Supreme Court ruling today (Wednesday) concerning Denise Brewster’s successful claim to her partner’s pension, UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said:
“Today’s judgement is good news for anyone like Denise Brewster who stood to lose out on their partner’s pension, simply because a form hadn’t been signed.
“It means the Northern Ireland local government pension scheme and others covering people working in education, the NHS and the civil service will now have to look again at their rules.
“The last thing a recently bereaved person needs is to have to fight for a pension that’s rightfully theirs. This thankfully will no longer be necessary.”
Notes to editors:
– Town hall employees who belong to the local government scheme in England and Wales haven’t had to nominate a partner to receive their pension benefits for some time. All the surviving partner needs to show is that they had been living together as if they were married.
– There is another legal case due to be heard that will determine whether partners denied pensions in the past because a nomination form was not completed will also be able to claim.
Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen T: 0207 121 5463 M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk
Alan Weaver T: 0207 121 5555 M: 07939 143310 E: a.weaver@unison.co.uk
Joe Lewis T: 0207 121 5255 M: 07970 863 411 E: j.lewis5@unison.co.uk
