Conference notes that eligibility for initial payment of the Winter Fuel Allowance (WFA) is dependent upon the claimant reaching state retirement age by the last week in September each year (of particular benefit to those with birthdays between March and September) and that those who reach this milestone in subsequent winter months do not receive […]
Conference motions
The proposals for differentiation of retired members’ pensions proposed for 2015/16 is a form of discrimination affecting existing pensioners. The proposal if implemented will mean that the existing 14 million current British pensioners will lose approximately £53 per week. Conference therefore calls on the Retired Members’ National Committee to join with other organisations including the […]
Conference deplores the continuing use of 084 nos by many organisations as the only means of contacting them by ‘phone. Despite claims that 0845 are ‘lo-call’ cost, they are rarely as cheap as a local call or indeed a geographic call and are used as a means of raking in extra money. Conference believes that […]
This Conference notes that elder abuse is the only form of abuse that is not a Statutary Specific Criminal Offence. There is a “Memorandum of Understanding”, that requires the Courts to take into account the age of the victim when considering punishment. The Greater London Regional Retired Members Committee are campaigning against elder abuse to […]
Conference recognises the different role and contribution of retired members to their working counterparts and accepts that their involvement in UNISON is more limited. However Conference believes that many retired members still have much to offer the union and that their preclusion from almost all aspects of its work is not necessarily in UNISON’s best […]
Conference welcomes and endorses that it is among UNISON’s aims to seek to ensure equality of treatment and fair representation for all members and their right to be treated with dignity and respect. UNISON and the former partner unions recognised long ago that this needs more than goodwill and that there must be clear arrangements […]
Conference notes the efforts of many branches and branch retired members’ groups to retain members when they retire but regrets to note the apparent lack of support, co-ordination and reporting to sustain these efforts. Conference believes a haphazard approach may lead to patchy results and may reproduce or exaggerate patterns of inclusion and exclusion among […]
Conference believes many retired UNISON members would like to make their wishes known concerning their medical treatment and/or their financial or other affairs at the end of their lives in case they become incapable of doing so at the time. Conference believes many of them would be glad if their trades union could signpost them […]
Conference is concerned about the increase in tuition fees for all areas of post-16 education. This is not only means for younger people as many retired people make full use of these facilities. Increases in fees apply not only to universities and colleges but to adult education courses and providers such as the workers education […]
Mr Cameron pledged, “We can’t go on like this. I’ll cut the deficit, not the NHS”. The election manifesto stated, “We are the party of the NHS, we back its funding and have visions for its future.” In January 2011 he said “We recognise its special place in our society, so we will not cut […]
Retired Members will have noted with growing concern the government’s attack on both the state and public sector pension schemes. Not only are they constantly attacking the pensions in the media, but they are always doing their best to attack pension funds with statements about the public sector pensions being ‘gold plated’. If this is […]
This Conference calls upon the National Retried Members’ Committee to strongly pursue and campaign to make available, for older people, free dental inspections; the same service as is currently available for eye examinations and publicise progress in UNISON publications on a regular basis.
As the value of the state pension has fallen by a huge amount since 1979, many pensioners are eligible for means-tested additions. The application forms for these additions are long and complicated. Often more than one form is required to determine other pensioner benefits. Many pensioners do not claim these benefits partly because of lack […]
Conference Instructs the National Retired Members’ Committee and calls on the National Executive Council to liaise with the National Pensioners’ Convention, Trades Union Congress and all appropriate organisations to campaign for the cessation of the Post Office closure programme, with particular reference to rural areas as they are often the centre of village life for […]
Conference may be aware that the National Pensioners’ Convention has consistently campaigned to enable pensioners to receive their pension payments by giro if they so wish. Despite a considerable amount of pressure and bullying from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), around 200,000 pensioners continue so to do. However, it is now known that […]