I don't know how many of you will agree with my winge about wasting pension fund money?

Today through the post I received a glossy coloured leaflet about the BBC myPension online, together with a nice pen engraved with the website address. The leaflet was telling me how to sign up, despite the fact I have been signed up for the past 4 months.

I phoned the BBC Pension office, who told me that this marketing was being funded out of the pension scheme and being sent to all members of the scheme regardless whether they had signed up or not.

I asked why it was not just being sent to those who had not joined already, and the reply was that it might "offend" some if they were left out!

I don't know how many people are current members of the pension scheme, but this exercise must be costing thousands of pounds to produce.

Agreed,  if interested you probably have already registered!

How long before we see these on eBay?

I joined partly so I could rant at that stupid, rubber-band-powered thing that snaps into a cube when you take it out of its envelope. Purpose apparently to make me aware of and encourage me to log into the online BBC pensions site (which I already had done way before getting this mailing).

Who ever thought this sort of gimmick was appropriate for BBC Pensions? Just stupid.

You really don't understand V Meldrew, the everlasting self perpetuating oligarchy that was and still is "the BBC". We get very reasonable service from Pensions so stop moaning!

apcwmwl wrote on Aug 14^th, 2018, 4:15pm:


That is a very kind offer. Perhaps you could send the 75p to a charity of your choice on my behalf?

We are indeed lucky to have such a good Pension Scheme, but that does not mean it should not be accountable to scrutiny.

I was concerned about what I thought was an unnecessary cost to the Pension Scheme. I can understand promoting the online method, but it does not require a pen and a coloured leaflet to do that, and to send it to members that are already signed up..

Do you know for a fact it cost 75p per person to design and print the leaflet, buy the pen and post it out? You seem very sensitive to my posting. Perhaps you are a Trustee or one of the marketing team?

Do you know the overall cost?  There are over 50,000 members of the Scheme, which as a rough guess makes this marketing excercise cost £37,500.

What we must all remember is that chap Gordon Brown who denuded us all from being members of a pension scheme that was capable of paying every member of it whether working or not, and still have leftover a substantial amount in reserve. Never should be forgotten or forgiven - shear jealosy despite knowing that he would have a mega payout evenif he had only been a member of his parliamentary scheme for a matter of days - & that was non contributory. I'm sure he can sit back on his laurels now - hope they are prickly!