Rotherham MP praises pension uplift for ex-miners
It follows an announcement in the Government's Budget on Wednesday.
Last updated 2nd Nov 2024
Labour and Rotherham MP Sarah Champion has told us she's 'delighted' almost a thousand ex-miners in the town will benefit from an 'immediate uplift' to their weekly pension payments.
The uplift was confirmed in the Budget on Wednesday, which means up to 112,000 former miners across the UK will get a 32% boost to their annual pensions.
Nearly a thousand people will get the boost in Rotherham.
Sarah says:
"The miners are getting a bonus back of their own money, which is amazing news in Rotherham alone: that's 900 people who are going to feel the benefit of that. It's worth about £29 a week, which is really welcome money during a cost of living crisis.
"There are still other things in the scheme that need working out, so I can give you my reassurance, and I speak on behalf of other Yorkshire MPs, that we'll carry on fighting for this.
"There are still anomalies within the system that need resolving and we're not going to step back from this until what's due (to ex-miners) is back in their wallet".
It follows a positive reaction to Wednesday's Budget from South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard, who says it was full of 'small wins' for people in Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham.
Outgoing Tory leader Rishi Sunak claimed the budget was full of "broken promises", with working people having to pay the price.