Closure of the volunteer visiting scheme

The Trustee of the BBC Pension Scheme recently announced that the Volunteer Visiting Scheme will be discontinued from 31 March 2025. This article describes the origins of the Scheme and the reasons the Trustee has decided to discontinue it.

Background

The Volunteer Visiting Scheme was set up in 1994 to:

  • Oversee the wellbeing of BBC Pension Scheme pensioners and their partners;
  • Establish a practical method of keeping in touch;
  • Offered a continued link with the BBC; and
  • Provide social contact for pensioners.The scheme is administered by the Pensions and Benefits Centre in Cardiff.

To be eligible for visits by a volunteer visitor, pensioners or their widows/widowers/civil partners had to have attained age 70, or regardless of age, if they had retired on ill-health grounds, or had financial, housing or any other difficulties, or were recently bereaved. In general, individuals could request up to two visits a year.

The visitors are also retired members of the BBC Pension Scheme who are willing to visit elderly BBC pensioners.

Review of the scheme

Last year, the Trustee of the BBC Pension Scheme decided to review the Volunteer Visiting Scheme. The review considered whether the current arrangements and objectives for the scheme continued to be appropriate and, if not, whether there were any alternatives that could be considered. As part of the review the Trustee:

  • gathered the views of volunteer visitors through an online survey, and a group of visitors met with Catherine Claydon, the Chair of the Trustee Board;
  • considered feedback about the scheme previously received from pensioners, for example, in past member surveys;
  • looked at approaches taken by other large employers and pension schemes;
  • considered the risks and costs of running the scheme, after taking advice from third parties; and
  • engaged with the BBC and the BBC Pensioners Association to understand wider existing services.

Outcome of the review

Last month the Trustee informed the visitors and those who were receiving a visit that the scheme would close on 31 March 2025. The reasons given included:

  • the nature of the scheme had changed considerably since it was launched in 1994;
  • the number of pensioners wishing to receive a visit has reduced whilst, at the same time, the costs to deliver the service have increased; and
  • importantly, there had been material changes to the legal and regulatory environment over the years which posed very different challenges and risks in running the scheme.

Volunteers also highlighted that the main benefit of the scheme was now more about social contact, rather than the well-being of BBC Pension Scheme pensioners and their partners, or to offer a continued link with the BBC, which were part of the wider objectives when the scheme was first established.

Alternative support available

In their communication to those visited, the Trustee directed members to alternative sources of support, including the BBC Alumni network and the BBC Pensioners Association.

Your committee is pleased that the Trustee has sufficient confidence in the BBCPA that it has directed visitors and those visited to consider joining the BBCPA and benefit from its services. This reflects the good work the Association is providing, and the continuing good relations the Trustee and the BBC have with the Association.

Published On: February 17th, 2025 / 2.7 min read / Views: 640 /

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