pensioner 2002 spring newsletter

WYPF Best Value report published

WYPF’s service has been highly commended by the Audit Commission’s Best Value inspection service. Like all local authority services, WYPF is now subject to full Best Value review every five years, with planned continual improvements closely checked in the intervening years.

The report from our first review has officially recognised WYPF as a ‘good service’ that should keep getting better.

Best Value reports give services a ‘star rating’ that starts from no stars for a poor service and goes up to three stars for an excellent service. We were awarded a two-star Best Value rating.

The report, which was published late last year by the Audit Commission’s Best Value inspection service was the culmination of over two years’ work by our staff, Bradford Council staff and the Best Value Inspection Service themselves.

The report said that the continual improvement plans that we had in place were likely to keep us towards the top as far as our quality of service is concerned, and should make sure we stay one of the most cost-effective pension funds to run.

WYPF Chairman, Councillor Bob Sowman, said, “This is a great result for WYPF, particularly as it comes from a very robust process like Best Value. It’s a good testimony to the commitment and dedication of all the staff at WYPF.”

Your pension advice – the new arrangements

Every month, a few days before we pay your pension into your bank account, we send you a pension advice. It costs us a considerable amount to send pension advices every month. And often, month-after-month, your pension advice says exactly the same thing, telling you that the same amount of pension will be paid into your bank account. So we’re making some changes.

Whether you get a pension advice or not, you'll find that your pension will still be in your bank on pay day.

Over the years, many of our pensioners have asked us if we really need to send pension advices every month. In fact, there was a question about just that at our Annual Meeting in November last year. The answer is that we don't need to send out pension advices every month.

But we do feel that it's important we let you know when your pension amount changes.

So, from April this year we are changing the arrangements for sending you a pension advice.

From April, we will only send you a pension advice if your pension goes up or down by 25 pence or more.

If your pension stays the same, or goes up or down by less than 25 pence, we won't send you a pension advice, but you can rest assured that we will still be paying your pension into your bank account every month on pay day.

As before, pay day is normally the 16th of the month, but if the 16th falls on a weekend or bank holiday, we'll pay your pension into your bank account on the last bank working day before the 16th. You might like to keep the calendar of pension pay days (on the right) to remind you when you can expect your pension to be in the bank.

If you are eligible for the yearly increase, we will send you a pay advice in April and May. And if the Chancellor makes any changes in his Budget that affect how much tax you pay, we'll send you a pay advice in June and July.

But for the other months, you can rest assured that your pension will be in your bank account every month on pay day.

And we'll always let you know if your pension goes up or down by 25 pence, or more.

Protecting Your Money

Anti-Fraud Initiative update

We have told you about the National Anti-Fraud Initiative which we have taken part in for a couple of years now. Under the initiative, public agencies and local authorities share-and-compare the information they hold on people and when it doesn't tie up, we look into it.

Housing Benefit sections of local authorities tell us that they occasionally need to make further investigations because people who are getting a pension sometimes don't declare it when they make a claim.

If you ever make a claim for any benefits and you are asked for details of your income, please tell them that you get a pension from WYPF. It's better to be safe than sorry!