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I wish to update Members on an issue of concern relating to the pensions payable to firefighters who retired between 2001 and 2006\.  


Like most retirees, firefighters can choose to take part of their pension as a lump sum instead.  This process is known as commutation, and relies on actuaries calculating factors which convert annual pension payments into lump sums of an equivalent value over the typical lifetime of a pensioner.


The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) is responsible for doing this as regards most public\-sector pension schemes.  Between 2001 and 2006, GAD did not revise the commutation factors for the fire and police pension schemes, although there were sound reasons why they should have done, such as changes in average life expectancy.


Several pensioners complained about this to the Pensions Ombudsman.  In a test case relating to a Scottish firefighter (Mr Milne), the Ombudsman ruled that GAD should have updated the commutation factors, and that the failure to do so means lump sums paid to all firefighters across the UK who retired between these dates were miscalculated.  In most cases, retirees will have received smaller lump sums than they were entitled to, and the Ombudsman ruled that they should receive compensation in the form of the balance of the lump sum, plus interest.  


The UK Government has accepted the Ombudsman’s ruling, and the Treasury has agreed to meet the costs of compensation across the UK.  Work is now under way to identify all those affected, to calculate the compensation they are due, and to pay them.  Until that work is complete, we cannot know the extent of the problem; but it is likely to affect hundreds of retired firefighters in Wales, with total compensation running into millions of pounds.


For the most part, that work falls to employers and those who administer pension schemes on their behalf.  In Wales, Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council administers pension schemes for the South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority; and Carmarthenshire County Council administers pension schemes for the other two.  They alone have the records and contact details which are needed to complete this work.  It is not a matter for the Welsh Government, and neither I nor my officials can deal with individual cases.  I should also stress that the original error occurred before responsibility for fire and firefighters’ pensions was devolved to Wales.  


However, we are responsible for overseeing the process of paying compensation.  Those affected by this error understandably wish to immediately receive the lump sums that were due to them up to fourteen years ago.  They need to be compensated as soon as possible, but it is also important to ensure that no further mistakes are made in putting this situation right.  We have therefore provided the pension scheme administrators with detailed guidance, and with a calculator which GAD has prepared, and which will work out the compensation due in most cases swiftly and accurately.  Some other cases will be unavoidably complex, and some individuals may now be hard to contact.  Nonetheless, we now expect the administrators to complete this work quickly, and in any event by the end of this calendar year at the latest.


 


 


 







Translation:


 
 Hoffwn roi’r newyddion diweddaraf i aelodau am fater sy’n destun pryder yn ymwneud â’r pensiynau sy’n daladwy i ddiffoddwyr tân a ymddeolodd rhwng 2001 a 2006\.  

Fel y mwyafrif o bobl sydd wedi ymddeol, caiff diffoddwyr tân ddewis cymryd rhan o’u pensiwn fel cyfandaliad yn lle hynny.  Yr enw ar y broses hon yw cymudo, ac fel rhan o’r broses rhaid i actiwari gyfrifo ffactorau sy’n trosi taliadau pensiwn blynyddol yn gyfandaliadau o werth cyfatebol dros oes nodweddiadol pensiynwr.

Mae Adran Actiwari’r Llywodraeth (GAD) yn gyfrifol am wneud hyn mewn perthynas â’r mwyafrif o gynlluniau pensiwn y sector cyhoeddus. Rhwng 2001 a 2006, ni ddiwygiodd GAD y ffactorau cymudo ar gyfer cynlluniau pensiwn tân a’r heddlu, er bod rhesymau cadarn paham y dylent fod wedi gwneud hynny, megis newidiadau mewn disgwyliad oes ar gyfartaledd.

Cwynodd sawl pensiynwr am hyn wrth yr Ombwdsmon Pensiynau.  Mewn achos prawf yn  ymwneud â diffoddwr tân o’r Alban (Mr Milne), dyfarnodd yr Ombwdsmon y dylai GAD fod wedi diweddaru’r ffactorau cymudo, a bod y methiant i wneud hynny’n golygu bod cyfandaliadau a dalwyd i bob diffoddwr tân ledled y DU a ymddeolodd rhwng y dyddiadau hyn wedi cael eu camgyfrifo. Yn y mwyafrif o achosion, bydd pobl sydd wedi ymddeol wedi cael symiau llai na’r hyn yr oedd ganddynt hawl i’w cael, a dyfarnodd yr Ombwdsmon y dylent gael iawndal ar ffurf y cyfandaliad, ynghyd â llog.  

Mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi derbyn dyfarniad yr Ombwdsmon, ac mae’r Trysorlys wedi cytuno i dalu costau iawndal ledled y DU. Mae gwaith ar y gweill bellach i nodi’r rhai yr effeithir arnynt, i gyfrifo faint o iawndal sy’n daladwy iddynt a’u talu. Nes y bydd y gwaith hwnnw wedi’i gwblhau, ni allwn wybod graddfa’r broblem, ond mae’n debygol o effeithio ar gannoedd o ddiffoddwyr tân sydd wedi ymddeol yng Nghymru, gyda chyfanswm yr iawndal yn dod i filiynau o bunnoedd.

Gan amlaf, y cyflogwyr a’r rhai sy’n gweinyddu cynlluniau pensiwn ar eu rhan sy’n gyfrifol am y gwaith hwnnw.  Yng Nghymru, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf sy’n gweinyddu cynlluniau pensiwn ar gyfer Awdurdod Tân ac Achub De Cymru; a Chyngor Sir Caerfyrddin sy’n gweinyddu cynlluniau pensiwn ar gyfer y ddau arall.  Hwy yn unig sy’n meddu ar y cofnodion a’r manylion cyswllt y mae eu hangen i gwblhau’r gwaith hwn. Nid mater i Lywodraeth Cymru yw hwn, ac ni all fy swyddogion na minnau ddelio ag achosion unigol.  Dylwn bwysleisio hefyd i’r gwall gwreiddiol ddigwydd cyn i’r cyfrifoldeb dros bensiynau diffoddwyr tân gael ei ddatganoli i Gymru.    
   
Er hynny, ni sy’n gyfrifol am oruchwylio’r broses o dalu iawndal.  Mae’n berffaith ddealladwy bod y rhai y mae’r gwall hwn yn effeithio arnynt yn dymuno cael y cyfandaliadau a oedd yn ddyledus iddynt hyd at 14 o flynyddoedd yn ôl ar unwaith.  Mae angen talu iawndal iddynt cyn gynted â phosibl, ond mae’n bwysig sicrhau hefyd nad oes gwallau pellach yn cael eu gwneud wrth gywiro’r sefyllfa. Rydym felly wedi rhoi canllawiau manwl i weinyddwyr y cynllun pensiwn, ynghyd â chyfrifiannell y mae GAD wedi’i pharatoi, ac a fydd yn cyfrifo’r iawndal sy’n ddyledus yn gyflym ac yn gywir yn y mwyafrif o achosion. Mae’n anochel y bydd rhai achosion eraill yn gymhleth, ac efallai y bydd yn anodd cysylltu â rhai unigolion erbyn hyn.  Serch hynny, rydym bellach yn disgwyl i’r gweinyddwyr gwblhau’r gwaith hwn yn gyflym, a hynny erbyn diwedd y flwyddyn galendr hon fan bellaf.