The newspaper for BBC pensioners – with highlights from Ariel online Showing them how it’s done 16mm filming with seven BBC veterans Page 7 Oct 2015 • Issue 5 Summary Report Central African highlights Relay Station Have your say Page 3 Page 6 Page 8 NEWS • MEMORIES • CLASSIFIEDS • YOUR LETTERS • OBITUARIES • CROSPERO 02 BBC PENSIONS Focusing on friendship: BBC Volunteer Visitor Conference 2015 The annual BBC Volunteer Visitor Conference took place in August, when 107 BBC ‘visitors’ gathered in Cardiff for the two-day event. The visitors are retired BBC employees who provide friendship to BBC pensioners aged 70 and above, those recently bereaved or anyone in poor health. State benefits professional over the years; for example, when he first became an MNT the The second speaker of Day One was State Scheme had one part-time investment Benefits Consultant, Brian Hogarth, with a manager. Now it’s all very professional, summary of State benefits news. In his ‘final with a dedicated investment team and farewell tour’ (as he has officially retired of course a full-time CEO, Joy Moore, but agreed to attend the conference one who helps the Trustees fulfil their duties. last time), Brian shed light on a number of The Trustees are looking ahead to the 2016 State benefits that are relevant to pensioners. valuation and as part of that, they will One of the least claimed State benefits is need to consider the effect of charter Attendance Allowance, and Brian urged the renewal and licence fee settlement on visitors to mention it when visiting BBC the BBC’s covenant. pensioners who may be eligible for the The second day of the conference focused extra weekly allowance. on the visitors and the BBC Pensions & The visitors should also bear in mind the Benefits Centre in Cardiff, which supports £2,000 bereavement payment that is payable their valued work. to people on the death of their spouse. ‘If you Fred Haigh, who has been a BBC visitor don’t claim it, you don’t get it,’ said Brian. for 20 years, shared ‘a day in the life of a BBC volunteer visitor’. He joined the Scheme to ‘put something back’, after ‘If you don’t claim it, working in Transmitters ‘for the best part of 40 years’. He spoke about his early years as a visitor, when his patch was Newcastle, and he aim of the conference is to enhance • Loneliness is as dangerous to one’s you don’t get it…’ the apprehension he felt when he visited his the visitors’ understanding of the health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. first pensioner. ‘I made the first visit with a issues that affect the BBC’s pensioners, • You are twice as likely to develop certain amount of trepidation, but gradually, to that they can provide a better Alzheimers if you are lonely. He also spoke about the new State pension as I began to make my way around I‘service’ to the people they visit. The • One million older people say they which comes into force in April next year. Newcastle, word spread that the scheme conference also gives the visitors an often feel lonely. If you are already receiving your State was there.’ opportunity to network with others and The Silver Line was set up by Esther Rantzen pension, you will continue to receive Fred entertained the audiences with share tips and ideas. after the death of her husband, when it under the existing system, but if you stories about the interesting people he met This year, the visitors were given a she was 71. Esther wrote an article about haven’t yet reached State pension age then as a visitor, but he also spoke of the tough feedback form to complete, which the loneliness she experienced after his you have the option to increase your State asked them what they thought of the death and received many comments on pension by paying extra National Insurance times that he faced: the BBC pensioner conference and what they would like to her ‘bravery’ for being open about the contributions. If you turn 80 after 6 April who only had one person at his cremation see at future conferences. subject of loneliness, as if it was something 2016, then you will ‘lose out’ on the (Fred), or the gentleman with dementia Cheryl Miles, the Volunteer Visitor Scheme to be ashamed of. She realised that loneliness extra 25p you would have received as an that he visited in a care home and took co-ordinator, was pleased to receive many is a hidden epidemic and that many older octogenarian. (Brian pointed out that the to the pub for a pint. compliments about the quality of the people ‘don’t want to be a burden’, so ‘over-80s’ pension was worth five shillings Fred visits between 40 and 50 BBC speakers at this year’s conference and the they don’t ask for help. Esther had an when it was first introduced – the cost of a pensioners twice a year. He was asked generally positive feedback. She says: idea that a helpline might work – and bag of coal – but because it hasn’t received whether he had a formula for visiting… ‘We had many requests for a round-table, thanks to her connections she was increases for years its real value has been ‘I don’t,’ he replied, ‘but I do have workshop-type session in the conference, instantly offered help and expertise eroded by inflation.) a pattern: listen, look around, learn where visitors can share experiences and from many organisations. The third and final presentation of from them.’ ideas, or ask for advice in dealing with The pilot helpline was launched in the day was by Grant Cassidy, a member- Ian Cutter, Head of Pension Shared situations. This will be implemented in the November 2012, with a free confidential nominated Trustee (MNT) for the Services, then took to the stage in the next year’s conference.’ telephone number available 24 hours a day, BBC Pension Scheme, who works for pre-lunch slot. Ian is responsible for One of the main issues affecting even on weekends. The helpline team, Radio 5 Live. pension communications, the Volunteer pensioners is the problem of loneliness. which is based in Preston, received 540,000 As well as providing an insight into his Visiting Scheme and all the systems that are Nina Gopal from The Silver Line charity calls in 20 months – and they anticipate day job as a senior studio director, Grant used in the Pensions & Benefits Centre – was the first speaker of the day, whose that by 2017 the helpline will take over also spoke about his role as an MNT. Grant making sure that benefits are paid on time presentation included some startling facts: a million calls. said the Scheme has become a lot more and to the right people. Please send your editorial contributions, or comments/ feedback, to: Prospero, BBC Pension and Benefits Centre, Prospero is provided free of charge to retired BBC Broadcasting House, Cardiff CF5 2YQ. employees, or to their spouses and dependants. Prospero Email: [email protected] provides a source of news on former colleagues, Please make sure that any digital pictures you send are developments at the BBC and pension issues, plus classified scanned at 300 dpi. adverts. It is available online at www.bbc.co.uk/mypension To advertise in Prospero, please see page 12. The next issue of Prospero will appear in December 2015. To view Ariel online, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/ariel. The copy deadline is Friday, 30 October 2015. PROSPERO OCTOBER 2015 03 2015 Pensioners’ Liaison Meeting 2015 Summary This year’s Pensioners’ Liaison Meeting will be held on Thursday, 22 October from 11am to 1pm at: Report – highlights The Radio Theatre Broadcasting House The BBC Pension Scheme’s Summary During the year, the value of the Portland Place Report was posted out to members Scheme’s assets reached an all-time London W1A 1AA in August, sharing the highlights high of £12.9 billion. After adjusting If you attend, you can put questions from the Trustees’ full Annual Report for cash flows in and out of the Scheme, about the Scheme to the Chief Executive and Accounts. this is a return of 20.1%, following Officer, a Scheme Trustee and the The Report and Accounts set out increases of 6.0% in 2013/14 and Fred Haigh, BBC visitor. Scheme officers. how much money was paid into the 13.1% in 2012/13. Spaces are limited and will be booked Scheme (as contributions and investment Over the past five years, the Scheme’s on a first come, first served basis. income) and how much was paid out investment return was 10.6% a year, To book a place, call the pension (as benefits to members and payments while the 10-year return, a period which The BBC Pension service line on 029 2032 2811. to advisers etc). includes the financial crisis, was 8.9%. The Scheme received more income It is unlikely that returns will be so strong than it paid out as benefits over the year in coming years. Scheme pays 23,000 to 31 March 2015 – and the investments The Summary Report also reported The Silver grew in value by £1.9 billion. on the Scheme’s funding position, individuals, totalling These figures are audited by which improved over the year (from Line helpline PricewaterhouseCoopers, who confirmed 86% to 88%), thanks to the £1.9 billion £30 million that they show a true account of the increase in the value of the investments for older Scheme’s financial activities during and increased BBC contributions.