91Èȱ¬

Welcomed warmly by Cheryl Miles, the VVS Co-ordinator, this year’s conference had 84 visitors in attendance, including 16 for whom this was their first.

The VVS provides a vital service to the 91Èȱ¬ Pension Scheme’s older pensioners (those aged 70+), by giving them the chance to meet up with former 91Èȱ¬ colleagues and reminisce about the old days – or just have a chat about life in general.

Of course, the pandemic put the kibosh on may face-to-face meetings, but the visitors persevered, with regular phone calls and platforms such as Skype providing some relief for the loneliness that many retired people experience. In fact, Cheryl reported they’d had a surge in requests for contact during the pandemic and even this year there has been an increase in the number of pensioners opting in to receive a call – showing that the VVS is starting to flourish again despite the difficulties of the last few years.

This year’s conference had a different format to previous years; with it being the first since the pandemic it was much more focused on the visitors reconnecting with each other – but not forgetting that it was also the Corporation’s 100th year.

91Èȱ¬ at 100
The first speaker was Robert Seatter, 91Èȱ¬ Head of History, who gave a very entertaining overview of ‘the amazing story – the highs and lows – of one of the first continuous public broadcasters’. Peppered with photos and clips from the days of ‘2LO calling’ right through to the modern day, his presentation provided a whistlestop tour of the moments that shaped the 91Èȱ¬. Much of the material is also covered in his recently published book, Broadcasting Britain: 100 years of the 91Èȱ¬, which you can read more about here.

91Èȱ¬ Pensions
The next day saw Jeff Webley, Head of Operations at the 91Èȱ¬ Pension Trust Ltd, update the visitors on what has been happening in the 91Èȱ¬ Pension Scheme and the Pension & Benefits Centre.

Jeff looked back at the results of the 2021 member survey, which is used to give the team (and the Trustees) an idea of how members rate the service from the Scheme. Out of a possible score of 5, the service scored an average 4.42% for quality of service and 4.57% for speed of service.

In his talk, Jeff covered the Trustees’ (and the 91Èȱ¬’s ) focus on going green and the decision that was made earlier this year to reduce the Scheme’s carbon footprint by stopping paper payslips and reducing the number of printed editions of Prospero.

He also discussed difficulties arising from the recent Certificate of Existence mailing, which resulted in a large number of calls to the pension service line from worried pensioners. Certificate of Existence letters are sent out to a random selection of pensioners, asking them to provide proof of their existence. ‘It’s a way of protecting the Scheme against fraud and making sure that pensions are only paid to actual 91Èȱ¬ pensioners,’ said Jeff. ‘The mailing was sent out by a third-party on our behalf, which caused some confusion as pensioners were understandably concerned that it was a scam.

‘We are looking to invest in technology in future that will provide more reassurance and also make it easier for our pensioners to respond to these checks.’

First Day
The next session saw three ‘senior’ visitors, John Forrest, Joe Keaney and Willis McBriar, stand in at the last minute after a speaker pulled out unexpectedly.

Through a ‘personality quiz’ format they discussed their experiences as a visitor – including reminiscing about their first visits – and invited the other visitors in the audience to chip in with their stories too.

The final session of the conference saw Peter York and Patrick Barwise discussing their book The War against the 91Èȱ¬. Peter is a cultural commentator and Patrick a professor at the London Business School, who met through a shared interest in market research. They believe the 91Èȱ¬ should stand up against the misinformation propagated in the mainstream media about it – particularly the so-called SMET newspapers (the Sun, Mail, Express and Telegraph).

They cited a 2015 total deprivation study in which participants were asked ‘Is the 91Èȱ¬ good value for money?’ Thirty per cent said no; they were then asked to live without the BC for nine days and over that period 68% changed their minds. The experiment was repeated last year, which showed that 70% had changed their minds – but the 91Èȱ¬ did not publicise the findings on its own platforms.

Tax Help for Older People
Two volunteers from Tax Help for Older People Charity, Brenda John and Ros Mountain, were on hand throughout the second day of conference.

TaxHelp for Older People is a small national charity and is supported by a team of expert volunteer tax advisers providing free, independent and expert advice specifically for older people on lower incomes for over 20 years.

It’s vision is for vulnerable people on lower incomes to understand the bits of the tax system that apply to them, pay only the right amount of tax and help them resolve crises when things go wrong. Tax Help for Older People supports older people grappling with pension tax, allowances, PAYE coding and self-assessment. 50% of their beneficiaries are over 75. Many struggle with bereavement in addition to poor health, isolation and no support network to turn to. Sensory disabilities and paper records can make the helpline and digital channels difficult so its network of volunteers can provide help in secure centres or in people’s homes. Tax is a complex and ever-changing challenge for many people. There are serious consequences for those who get it wrong. Good tax advice makes a huge difference to outcomes. Too many people cannot afford this advice and reach out for advice and other community services for support.

Tax Help for Older People work alongside TaxAid, who provide help to working age people on low incomes when they get into difficulties with their tax affairs.

To contact Tax Help Head Office, with a query or to arrange a home visit by one of the volunteers, call 01308 488066; email taxvol@taxvol.org.uk; website www.taxvol.org.uk

Jeff Webley then wrapped up the conference by thanking everyone for the support they offered to the Scheme’s most vulnerable members – and wishing them all a safe journey home.