Prospect writes to Richard Tice over Reform UK’s plans for public sector pensions

Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy has written to Richard Tice MP following his announcement that Reform UK are proposing to transition public servants onto a new defined contribution system. Reform are proposing to change public-sector pensions from a defined benefit system to a defined contribution scheme for new entrants, reflecting what has happened in the private sector and resulting in less generous payouts in retirement. A defined benefit scheme gives a guaranteed annual income for life after retirement, while a defined contribution pension provides a pot that can be drawn on until it runs out. 

Not only does this policy represent a baseless attack on our vital public servants, it would also cost the taxpayer billions more, rising to around £22-32 billion once all staff were on the new pension system. You can read more about this, as well as Mike’s response, in The Guardian. 

At Prospect we are proud of the work our members in the public sector do. Whether they are on the front line of service delivery, at the cutting edge of public sector research, or driving the digital revolution within government, they are driven by a deep ethos of public service.  

Attacking public sector pensions, while cutting back pay and staff numbers, would only worsen the current recruitment and retention crisis in our public services, and would plunge the services people rely on into staffing chaos. 

Public servants are not punchbags for Reform politicians, and their pension pots are not piggybanks that can be raided. These are the people who all governments depend on to deliver our services, and Reform would do well to remember that.