Eligibility for Benefits
Service prior to 1 October 1980
If a mineworker left the Scheme voluntarily prior to 1 October 1980 they gave up their right to participate in the Scheme. To qualify for pension at that time, 15 years of consecutive membership had to be served up to and immediately before retirement at 65 years of age.
Some mineworkers were later allowed to qualify for benefit on payment of additional contributions if they:
left the Coal Industry on ill health grounds
transferred to Weekly Paid Industrial Staff (WPIS)
retired at ages 63 or 64.
Service from 1 October 1980 to 12 October 1992
On 1 October 1980, the rules concerning membership of the Scheme were substantially altered to include preservation of benefit as required by law. Provided a member had 5 years of qualifying service or more, a pension would be granted. After 1988, that minimum service requirement was brought down to just 2 years.
However, qualifying service started counting from the age of 45, and members got the opportunity to build up to the maximum 15 years for a full pension from age 45 to retirement at age 65. Service before age 45 did not count, and no benefits were earned during any break in service. If a member left service before age 45, then there was no entitlement to benefit.
For mineworkers who had service over age 45 but did not manage to get to the 5 year or 2 year minimum, they could make up the difference by becoming a contributing member. Similarly, a member who qualified for benefit but not the full pension earned after 15 years’ service could also contribute to make up for the “lost” years.
Service from 13 October 1992
From this date the requirement to be over 45 to obtain any benefit was abolished and any member who left service after 12 October 1992 with at least 2 years’ service would benefit from the Scheme and receive full entitlement if their service over any period was 15 years or more. The Benefit was also now paid from age 62.
Further improvements
From 10 October 1999, pensions were payable from age 60 and ill health pensions were first awarded from age 55.
In June 2015, members were first allowed to convert small pensions to Small Sum Commutation (SSC) payments. And from 2019, lump sum benefits on early death were introduced.
Procedures
Members qualify for benefit from the Scheme by being held on our database. Usually members were advised to apply for a deferred pension when they left the industry by completing a form and giving it to the Union Branch Secretary.
