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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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MP Beith in Last Ditch Bid to Secure Thousands of Pounds for Local Pensioners
March 24, 2010 12:00 AM
MP Sir Alan Beith has launched a final attempt to secure thousands of pounds in underpaid state pensions for his constituents before a deadline on 5th April.
A Government scheme has been introduced to help women pensioners born between April 1938 and October 1944. Under the scheme, some women born between those dates can fill gaps in their record of National Insurance contributions from the late 1990s and get a boost to their state pension on very favourable terms. Many such women end up getting a large cash refund at no cost to themselves.
Some women who qualify for the scheme will now get refunds running into hundreds or, in some cases, thousands of pounds. The Minister for Pensions has assured the House of Commons that eligible constituents who contact their MP before 5th April about this issue will be able to qualify for the scheme - even if sorting out the paperwork goes into the next financial year.
Sir Alan said:
"Many women get by on very poor pensions despite a lifetime of working, bringing up families and contributing in a whole host of ways. This special scheme applies to a narrow group of women who were not entitled to much pension when they retired but may be able to get some cash back now.
"I hope that women born between April 1938 and October 1944 and who think they have gaps in their National Insurance record in the late 1990s will contact me. Not everyone will qualify, but some will, and time is running out."
The main group of women who may come under the scheme are those who were born in the period from April 1938 to October 1944, who are currently drawing less than a full pension of £95 per week and who stopped work a year or more before they reached pension age.
They are encouraged to contact Sir Alan as soon as possible by e-mail to alanbeith@berwicklibdems.org.uk or by calling his constituency office on 01665 602901. They will need to have details to hand of their pension situation including their National Insurance number. Alternatively they can contact the National Insurance Deficiency Notice Helpline on 0845 915 5996.
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