About the Scheme

The Nottinghamshire and District Miners’ Pension Scheme was created by Nottinghamshire Union Leader, George Alfred Spencer. It was formally constituted in a Trust Deed dated 1 October 1939.

The purpose of the Scheme was to provide retirement pensions for day wage mineworkers engaged in eligible employment, carrying qualifying activity in the former Nottinghamshire Wages District. Members did not pay any contributions whilst at work in the District in order to qualify for benefits, although please see the section of the website on “Who is Eligible for Benefit” for more detailed information.

A mineworker had to be a day wage miner to be entitled to benefit, but not all day-wage men were eligible. What constituted eligible employment has been determined by the Pension Board from time to time over the period of the Scheme’s existence. Similarly, what constitutes a “qualifying activity” has been clarified and determined by the Board during its long period of operation.

There have been various sponsoring employers since 1939, but the main one was British Coal, formerly the National Coal Board, which supported the Scheme from 1947 until the privatisation of the coal industry in December 1994.