Plaid Cymru AM Chris Franks will call for a hardship fund from the UK government for former Allied Steel and Wire workers during First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd.
The AM who represents Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and Rhondda Cynon Taf has been working with pension campaigners to get justice for the former Allied Steel and Wire workers.
The AM for South Wales Central said: “There is a cross party call for the First Minister to to discuss with the UK government ways in which the former ASW workers can receive 100% compensation for losses from their pensions.
“I am asking the First Minister to discuss with the Department of Work and Pensions about the pensioners plight. Ministers in London should consider setting up a hardship fund or another mechanism that would allow workers who feel they are particularly disadvantaged by the terms of the Financial Assistance Scheme to claim additional help to replace their losses.
“Members of the Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme feel badly let down by the new Government. Despite criticising the previous Labour Administration for the misleading statements and inadequacies of the Financial Assistance Scheme, the reality is that since the Con –Dem Coalition came to power, it has actually cut the FAS benefits by around 10 per cent.
“A practical measure that is long overdue is to provide members with statements or indications of what payments they can expect to receive from the Financial Assistance Scheme when it is finally paid. Pension experts say worried members have contacted them, some only weeks away from their pension age, who have heard nothing from the Financials Assistance Scheme and want some indication of what pension they can expect, in order to help plan their finances. Ideally this information should be sent out well before retirement.”
He added: “Members from all parties and independent members have signed a statement of opinion apart from Labour Assembly Members. This is disappointing as they are failing to stand up for Welsh pensioners by not campaigning for fairness for the ex-ASW workers.”
