Welcome to the Official Website of AFPG Limited

ARMED FORCES PENSION GROUP
(Represented by)
AFPG LIMITED
The Mathom House
9 Broadmead Green
Thorpe End
Norwich.
NR13 5DE

Wednesday 30th June, 2010

Dear Colleague,

AFPG LIMITED IS ALIVE AND WELL, THANKS TO YOU.

Since writing to members and also sending by email in the matter of the Articles of Association for AFPG, Jim Filby and I have received over 1000 responses by letter and email. In response the generosity of members has been astounding.
The cost of postage in terms of stamps, print, envelopes and papers came to almost £1000. Communicating by letter post remains a need. There remain almost 1200 members who do not have easy access to either email and/or the web, hence the expense. Funds of AFPG Limited had, as I am sure many of you are aware, had been depleted and there was doubt as to whether we would be able to continue to communicate by post. Since the letter we have received email addresses for many more members which will help to reduce costs in the future.
Of even greater significance is the fact that so many members have come up trumps.—

AFPG has received donations in excess of over £9000 .

Over the coming weeks I shall be writing to – by post or email – to each donor expressing AFPG’s thanks. To those of you awaiting an acknowledgement, I apologise for the delay but please be assured that all monies are accounted for and will be spent solely in pursuit of the aims of AFPG. In the coming days the Management Team will meet and consider the next steps. One suggestion I will be putting forward is that there should be a meeting, this time in London, at the Union Jack Club – your Club / my Club – in Waterloo. However, please let Jim or I know your views. The Management Team still needs to expand. If there were more involved on a day to day basis I could have replied to each correspondent by now! Please consider if you can help by giving your time.
Parliament 2010 is a good place to start. Making your MP aware of the issues. Discussing the MoD’s so inaccurate response is the real starting point. Phrases like in these days of financial constraints “we can’t deal with legacy issues” are a cop out. We must however be realistic. No Government is going to say ‘because you have been treated wrongly we will pay pensions back to the date when you should have qualified’. We should be explaining that we want payment from NOW. Similarly we should be considering what we mean by Equality. As the ‘card’ that we produced at the AGM states “Equality with whom, with what”. We cannot expect Equality with those leaving the service today. We want Equality with our contemporaries. We want to be treated no less than the Civil Servants who are the ONLY other Crown employees and the only other group whose pension is non-contributory, albeit like our pay, subject to undefined abatement to take into consideration the non-contributory nature of the pension.
Please work on your MP. To date I have received letters from 42 MPs. So far follow-up letters have resulted in continuing correspondence with 10 of them. In several instances the MP has asked for details of constituents who are affected by the in-Equality. It would be helpful to know that we have that permission without our having to phone or write to get permission to release that data. Once again – thank you for your continuing support. Please continue to do so. Please let us know, so we can tell others, about your successes – or failures with your MP.

Nigel H Lodge Director,
AFPG Limited

 

 STATEMENT OF INTENT

Our aim is to secure equality of pensions for former regular members of the Armed Forces who served for fewer than 22 years at any time to April 1975 and who were discharged before 5th April 1975. This also applies to those regulars who were discharged prior to 1981 who do not meet the criteria of length of service and age.  We ask Her Majesty's Government for pension rights based on years of service and related, pro rata, to pensions received by contemporaries who completed 22 years of service..

 

MEMBERSHIP

Membership of the Armed Forces Pension Group is open to all ex-servicemen and women who meet the criteria in our Statement of Intent. Supporters of the aims of AFPG may also apply for membership. To apply, forward your full name and address to The Membership Secretary, AFPG Ltd, 72 Appleton Road, Blidworth, Nottinghamshire, NG21 0SQ or download an application form from the box on the right.