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Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

Your benefits<br />

in safe hands<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

Inside<br />

2 A message from your<br />

<strong>Scheme</strong> Chairman<br />

4 Fund facts and figures<br />

6 Member Nominated<br />

Trustees<br />

7 Your administration<br />

service is moving<br />

8 <strong>Pension</strong>er<br />

Representatives<br />

9 Keeping in touch<br />

12 <strong>News</strong> from the regions<br />

14 Christmas past<br />

16 Congratulations<br />

18 Benefit updates<br />

20 Hoax calls<br />

21 In Memoriam<br />

24 Contacts<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong>


A message from your <strong>Scheme</strong> Chairman<br />

For the first time we are sending this communication to all our<br />

members including our deferred members (those who have left<br />

and kept a pension in the <strong>Scheme</strong>). We hope you enjoy this issue<br />

of In Touch which historically we have only sent to our pensioners.<br />

As well as the financial updates that help you understand how your<br />

<strong>Scheme</strong> is run, we also like to bring you all news of the events and<br />

activities that have been happening in our pensioner community<br />

throughout the year. We love receiving your photographs and stories and<br />

so do keep them coming.<br />

In this issue of In Touch we are looking at the <strong>Scheme</strong>’s facts and figures<br />

for the year ending 31 March 2011. The information we provide is a<br />

highlight from the full Report and Accounts and we tell you how you can<br />

get a copy of this on page 5.<br />

You will note that we received additional<br />

funding of £37.5m in December 2010 following<br />

the successful completion of the Company’s<br />

refinancing agreement with its lenders.<br />

2<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

After the accounting year end, we received a further payment<br />

of £16.25million following the sale of the North American business<br />

and this will be reflected in next year’s accounts.<br />

The membership figures look different this year and this is because<br />

the Company has set up a new category for current employees.<br />

This category of membership is called ‘employed deferred’ and<br />

these are members who, since 1 September 2010, remain in the<br />

Company’s employment but no longer build up future pension in<br />

the <strong>Scheme</strong>. The details of the current membership now totaling<br />

14,439 are shown on page 4.<br />

The Joint Investment Sub-Committee (JISC) continues to<br />

implement the new investment strategy agreed with the Trustees<br />

last year. The JISC has met several times during 2011 and there<br />

has been much activity in repositioning the <strong>Scheme</strong>’s investments<br />

to comply with the new strategy, including the appointment of new<br />

managers. There is still some way to go and I expect the new<br />

strategy to be fully in place by next Spring/early Summer.


As I write, the world’s stock markets are all over the place<br />

and we expect this uncertainty to continue for some while.<br />

I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that<br />

pension scheme investment is very much for the long term<br />

and we should therefore stay calm during such volatile<br />

periods and not react too hastily. The Trustees and the JISC<br />

continue to closely monitor the situation with their advisers.<br />

During 2011 we have also started working more closely with the<br />

Trustees of the Taylor Woodrow Fund by holding joint trustee meetings.<br />

There are no plans to formally merge the two schemes but by working<br />

together we can reduce the time and costs involved in the<br />

management of the schemes.<br />

There has been a big exercise undertaken by the Company which<br />

started in September for those of you who retain a deferred pension in<br />

the <strong>Scheme</strong> and who may wish to transfer out your benefits on<br />

enhanced terms. This offer is another important part of the Company’s<br />

ongoing, long-term strategy to manage the level of financial risk in the<br />

<strong>Scheme</strong>. The effect on the <strong>Scheme</strong> of members accepting the offer<br />

will be a reduction in the overall value of benefits the <strong>Scheme</strong> needs to<br />

pay in the future. The Trustees worked with the Company to ensure<br />

you received clear communication on this complex topic and had<br />

access to good independent financial advice. The Trustees very closely<br />

followed the <strong>Pension</strong>s Regulators guidance on offers of enhanced<br />

transfer values. This offer which closes shortly does not apply to<br />

pensioners or overseas residents and qualifying members would have<br />

received their offer packs back in September.<br />

The excellent communication between the Trustees and the Company<br />

has continued throughout 2010/2011 and the Finance Director, Ryan<br />

Mangold, attends most Trustees’ meetings to update us on Company<br />

issues. We were delighted to welcome Pete Redfern, Group Chief<br />

Executive, to our November meeting when he explained the Company’s<br />

new business strategy to the Trustees.<br />

Also in October we held the annual <strong>Pension</strong>ers’ Committee meeting<br />

when regional representatives meet with me and some of my fellow<br />

Trustees to discuss current <strong>Scheme</strong> management issues. Contact<br />

details of your regional pensioners representative is shown on page 8.<br />

You have a very able team of Trustees and in-house <strong>Pension</strong>s Team<br />

who have continued to work tirelessly to ensure the good management<br />

of the <strong>Scheme</strong> and I would like to thank them for their continuing<br />

support during 2011.<br />

Anna Edgeworth<br />

Chairman of the Trustees<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

3


<strong>Scheme</strong> membership<br />

The categories of membership are now: Employed Deferred<br />

(the members who remain employed by the Company but who<br />

no longer build up pension for future service), Deferred members<br />

and <strong>Pension</strong>ers.<br />

At 31 March 2011 the <strong>Scheme</strong> had a total of 14,439 members.<br />

Employed Deferred members<br />

<strong>Pension</strong>ers*<br />

Deferred members**<br />

* Includes dependants who are receiving a pension following the death of a member.<br />

** members who are no longer working for the company, but are yet to receive their pension.<br />

8,111<br />

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000<br />

4<br />

424<br />

5,904<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

Fund facts and figures<br />

During 2010/2011, £42.6m was paid out of the <strong>Scheme</strong> in<br />

pension and benefits, while £83.6m came into the <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

from contributions and investment returns. Part of the duty<br />

of the Trustees is to prepare an annual report and set of<br />

accounts for the <strong>Scheme</strong>. Here are some of the highlights<br />

from that report:<br />

Money coming in<br />

Total income during the year £83.6m<br />

Members’ contributions £0.6m<br />

Company’s contributions* £64m<br />

Income from investments<br />

Money going out<br />

£19m<br />

Total outgoings during the year £42.6m<br />

<strong>Pension</strong> payments £37.4m<br />

Lump sums on retirement and death £3.4m<br />

Transfers out £0.2m<br />

Administration costs £1.6m<br />

*includes an additional contribution of £37.5 million to help reduce the deficit more quickly.<br />

Please note that the figures given here do not show the one-off payment of £16.25 million<br />

mentioned in the Chairman’s introduction as this payment was received after 31 March 2011.<br />

It will be included in next year’s report on the Fund’s finances.


Change in the value of the fund<br />

over the past five years:<br />

800<br />

700<br />

600<br />

500<br />

400<br />

300<br />

200<br />

100<br />

0<br />

£671m<br />

£673m<br />

£571m<br />

£697m<br />

£762m<br />

31/3/2007 31/3/2008 31/3/2009 31/3/20010 31/3/20011<br />

Global Tactical Asset<br />

Allocation (GTAA)<br />

4.6%<br />

UK fixed<br />

interest gilts<br />

14.1%<br />

Overseas<br />

equities<br />

12.8%<br />

How the fund is invested<br />

UK index-linked gilts<br />

20%<br />

Opportunistic credit<br />

4.9%<br />

Corporate bonds<br />

27.1%<br />

The full report and accounts for the 12 months ending on 31 March 2011 was signed off by the Trustees at their meeting at the<br />

end of September. You can download a copy of the full report and accounts from www.wimpeypensions.co.uk/library.asp<br />

If you require a hard copy of the document, please contact Aon Hewitt. Their contact details can be found on the back page.<br />

UK equities<br />

16.5%<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

5


Member Nominated Trustees<br />

The <strong>Scheme</strong> is looked after by a board of Trustees. Some of the Trustees are appointed<br />

by the Company and some are nominated for the role by their fellow <strong>Scheme</strong> members.<br />

These are the Member Nominated Trustees (MNTs). An Independent Trustee Company,<br />

Law Debenture, also works with the Trustee Board as a co-Trustee.<br />

The Trustee<br />

Board must<br />

ensure that at<br />

least a third of<br />

the Trustees<br />

are MNTs.<br />

Member Nominated Trustees<br />

can be either <strong>Pension</strong>ers or<br />

Employed Deferred members<br />

(Active members at the date the<br />

<strong>Scheme</strong> closed to future<br />

accrual who are still working for<br />

Taylor <strong>Wimpey</strong>).<br />

6<br />

Last year the four-year term of<br />

office for one of our MNTs was<br />

due to end. However, as this<br />

coincided with the proposals to<br />

close the <strong>Scheme</strong> to future<br />

accrual, the election of a new<br />

MNT was postponed until after<br />

a decision had been made<br />

about the future of the <strong>Scheme</strong>.<br />

This helped the Trustee Board<br />

maintain continuity and benefit<br />

from the skills and experience<br />

of the existing MNT during that<br />

difficult time. After the changes<br />

to the <strong>Scheme</strong> had been<br />

agreed, in October 2010, the<br />

process for electing a new MNT<br />

commenced. Eligible members<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

Lee Bishop, who already held the<br />

position, was re-elected and started<br />

his second four-year term of office on<br />

2 December 2010.<br />

were asked for their nominations<br />

for a Trustee from the Employed<br />

Deferred membership and Lee<br />

Bishop, who already held the<br />

position, was re-elected and<br />

started his second four-year term<br />

of office on 2 December 2010.<br />

Lee Bishop


Your administration service<br />

is moving<br />

Next year Aon Hewitt, who are the<br />

administrators of the <strong>Scheme</strong>, will be<br />

moving the administration service from their<br />

Sheffield office to their office in Birmingham.<br />

The move shouldn’t take too long to complete and Aon Hewitt will be<br />

writing to you once they have settled the <strong>Scheme</strong> in the Birmingham<br />

office. In the meantime, please continue to contact Aon Hewitt in<br />

Sheffield if you have any questions about your pension or benefits.<br />

Their contact details are on the back page of the newsletter.<br />

And the pensioner payroll?<br />

The pensioner payroll will still be administered by Aon Hewitt from<br />

their office in Sheffield, and pensions will continue to be paid in the<br />

same way as now. All your contact details for pension payment<br />

queries will remain the same for now but when the administration<br />

service moves to Birmingham Aon Hewitt will write to you with the<br />

new address and telephone number.<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

7


<strong>Pension</strong>er Representatives<br />

As you will see from the various updates in this issue of In Touch, our pensioner<br />

representatives are kept very busy during the year. They are all very dedicated to helping their<br />

fellow pensioners keep in touch and staying up to date with the changes within the <strong>Scheme</strong>.<br />

The annual <strong>Pension</strong>er Representatives Meeting was held on 26 October at the head office in High Wycombe.<br />

Anna Edgeworth opened proceedings, welcoming all to the meeting. Attendees received an update on the Company’s performance over the<br />

past 12 months. Norman Sherwood gave a very interesting talk on the role of a pensioner Trustee and Julian Waller, Head of <strong>Pension</strong>s, updated<br />

everyone on the revised Trustee Board structure and Member Nominated Trustee arrangements.<br />

Our current GWSPS <strong>Pension</strong>er Representatives are listed below. We are always on the look out for new enthusiastic individuals to join the<br />

ranks. If you are interested in becoming a pensioner representative please contact the <strong>Pension</strong>s Team for more information.<br />

Current GWSPS <strong>Pension</strong>er Representatives<br />

Name Telephone No Email address Region<br />

Terry Coles 01626 864737 or 07748 765407 ctf.coles@homecall.co.uk Gloucs, Oxon, Wilts, Avon & Somerset<br />

Gerry Cunningham 0161 428 4935 peggyc3700@yahoo.co.uk Manchester<br />

John Edmonds 01752 701477 johnedmonds043@btinternet.com Plymouth<br />

Keith Glanville 029 2025 4227 glanvik@firstplus.co.uk Cardiff<br />

Bernard Grubb 0113 2583408 m.grubb9@btinternet.com Leeds<br />

John McGuire 00353 91591 639 Ireland<br />

Patricia Mosney 01489 781266 or 07929 713699 lamerton_mosney@btinternet.com Southampton<br />

Deryck Perry 01206 323951 Witham<br />

George Sneddon 01436 675270 sneddies@btinternet.com Scotland<br />

Gordon Whitbread 01634 862162 whitbread431@btinternet.com Maidstone<br />

Ian White 01772 816841 ian.white4@virgin.net Liverpool, Cumbria & North Wales<br />

8<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work


Keeping in touch<br />

A message from the editor, Angela Booth<br />

Welcome to all the new pensioners and deferred members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong><br />

<strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong> who are receiving In Touch for the first time.<br />

As well as the <strong>Scheme</strong> Administrators (Aon Hewitt), who are there to<br />

answer your queries about the <strong>Scheme</strong> and pay your benefits, there is<br />

also a <strong>Pension</strong>s Team at Taylor <strong>Wimpey</strong> to support you.<br />

I am always pleased to hear from members so If you have any stories<br />

to share, or topics you would like covering in the next issue then please<br />

contact me via the <strong>Pension</strong>s Team, the details are on the back page.<br />

Here’s a reminder of who we are and what we do:<br />

Julian Waller – Head of <strong>Pension</strong>s with overall responsibility for<br />

the Taylor <strong>Wimpey</strong> Group <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong>s.<br />

Paul Garrison – <strong>Pension</strong> Operations Manager – oversees the<br />

administration of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong> and<br />

the Taylor Woodrow Group <strong>Pension</strong> and Life Assurance Fund and<br />

is Company Secretary for both Trustee Boards.<br />

Angela Booth – <strong>Pension</strong> Services Manager and Editor of In Touch<br />

– oversees the administration of the Taylor <strong>Wimpey</strong> Personal<br />

Choice Plan and communications for all <strong>Scheme</strong>s.<br />

Sharon Scrivener – Administrator – supports all members of the<br />

<strong>Pension</strong>s Team and also looks after the helpline.<br />

Angela, Julian, Sharon, Paul<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

9


10<br />

Keeping in touch via Facebook<br />

Peter (right) supervising the setting<br />

of the Pearl Assurance coat of arms<br />

Our Facebook group, set<br />

up by our Trustee Chairman,<br />

Anna, is now well established<br />

and we’d like you to join us.<br />

You don’t have to be a<br />

pensioner, all ex and current<br />

employees are welcome too.<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

Peter in the stoneyard<br />

One of the members of the group, Peter<br />

Turner, contacted us recently and is keen<br />

to get in touch with any of his excolleagues<br />

who remember their time<br />

working on the Pearl Assurance building in<br />

Peterborough during 1990 and 1991.<br />

The project, which cost around<br />

£100million, was George <strong>Wimpey</strong>’s<br />

biggest project at the time. Peter was the<br />

foreman stonemason on site during the<br />

construction of the building. He sent us<br />

The finished product!<br />

some photographs from his collection,<br />

including this one showing him supervising<br />

the setting of the Pearl Assurance coat<br />

of arms.<br />

After the Pearl Assurance building was<br />

finished, Peter went on to work on projects<br />

in Birmingham and Scotland.<br />

If you are interested in getting in touch<br />

with Peter, please send him an email to<br />

petmar14@aol.com


If you’re already a member of<br />

Facebook and would like to join<br />

our group, simply log in and type<br />

‘George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Pension</strong>ers’<br />

into the search box. Once you’ve<br />

reached the page click on ‘ask<br />

to join group’ in the top right<br />

hand corner.<br />

Don’t worry if you’re not a<br />

member of Facebook yet, it’s<br />

easy and free to join, just go to<br />

www.facebook.com<br />

Friends far and wide<br />

We have some very close pensioner networks<br />

here in the UK and abroad. Many of our pensioners<br />

live overseas and you can’t get much more far-flung<br />

than New Zealand, where Alastair and Jane Somerville<br />

live. Alastair, who started with <strong>Wimpey</strong> in 1938 and<br />

worked for the company for over 40 years, celebrated his<br />

90th birthday this summer. But it was a double celebration,<br />

as he and his wife Jane also celebrated their 70th wedding<br />

anniversary this year.<br />

Congratulations to Alastair and Jane!<br />

Alastair ended his long career with <strong>Wimpey</strong> as a manager<br />

in the Civil and Mechanical Engineering department and still<br />

retains fond memories of his time with the company.<br />

Please contact the <strong>Pension</strong>s team<br />

if you would like to get in touch with<br />

Alastair and Jane.<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

11


<strong>News</strong> from the regions<br />

Scotland<br />

<strong>Pension</strong>ers in Scotland got together for their annual lunch at the<br />

Cadder Freestone in Bishopbriggs on 29 September 2011.<br />

Some 53 pensioners attended<br />

from both east and west<br />

Scotland. The lunch was<br />

organised by George Sneddon,<br />

pensioner representative for<br />

Scotland, who welcomed<br />

everyone and passed on best<br />

wishes from the Chairman of<br />

the Trustees.<br />

If you are a pensioner living<br />

in Scotland and would like<br />

to attend the event next<br />

year please contact George<br />

Sneddon. George’s contact<br />

details are given on page 8<br />

of the newsletter.<br />

12<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

The photograph shows from left to right<br />

- Donald Ross, Jock Millar, Roger<br />

McGowan, Arthur Mackie and Ken<br />

Burton enjoying a pre lunch drink.<br />

Southampton<br />

20 pensioners from the<br />

Southampton region met<br />

up at The White Swan<br />

pub in Swaythling, near<br />

the old Southampton<br />

office on 12 October for<br />

their annual lunch.<br />

Some of the regular attendees were<br />

unfortunately unable to come this year,<br />

but there were some new pensioners<br />

attending who had only retired within<br />

the last year or so.


Leeds<br />

The Leeds Association<br />

is rounding off the year<br />

with the Christmas<br />

do, scheduled for<br />

1pm on 14 December,<br />

at the Horsforth Golf<br />

Club, Leeds.<br />

Get in touch with Bernard Grubb if<br />

you want to attend. Also, thanks to<br />

all of you who came to the annual<br />

Fish & Chip lunch in October, at<br />

Murgatroyds (in Yeadon) and<br />

made it such a success. A great<br />

time was had by all.<br />

Hong Kong reunion<br />

The annual reunion of the<br />

1 Queens Road Central Hong<br />

Kong Bank team took place<br />

on the 7 July 2011.<br />

Compared to the 25th anniversary gathering in<br />

2010 attendance was down, with 27 responding to<br />

say that they would be unable to attend.<br />

However, Bob Jones, Mike Bryant, Malcolm Brown,<br />

Barry Franchi and Richard Smyth met in O’Neills,<br />

Wardour Street for a few drinks and reminiscences<br />

about the building of the Hong Kong Bank and the<br />

friends they made. Unfortunately John McEvoy,<br />

who arranges the reunions, was unable to attend<br />

as he was recovering from an operation, but he is<br />

already planning for next years’ reunion.<br />

The 2012 reunion is planned for<br />

11 July and invitations will be sent<br />

nearer the time.<br />

Bob Jones<br />

Mike Bryant<br />

Malcolm<br />

Brown<br />

Barry Franchi<br />

Richard Smyth<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

13


14<br />

Marjorie’s photos<br />

<strong>Wimpey</strong> B’ham Office ‘do’. Pete Smith centre back.<br />

I’m in there some where!<br />

The news magazine for <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Pension</strong>ers<br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

Christmas past<br />

and present<br />

It’s nearing Christmas time<br />

again and many of us will be<br />

planning and attending parties<br />

and events to celebrate with our<br />

friends and family.<br />

Around the regions many of the pensioner<br />

association members are also getting together<br />

to enjoy good food and drink and share<br />

memories. This carries on the tradition of<br />

Christmas parties held by the Company.<br />

Marjorie Voller wrote to us last year with some<br />

of her photographs and reminiscences from her<br />

time working in Denham and then in<br />

Hammersmith. We have included some of<br />

these here. Many were taken during the<br />

<strong>Wimpey</strong> Christmas parties held during and just<br />

after the Second World War and really capture<br />

the spirit and vibrancy of these events.


Dave Holland and I<br />

dancing at a <strong>Wimpey</strong><br />

‘do’. Could have been<br />

70’s or 80’s because<br />

that looks like Nelson<br />

Oliver in background.<br />

<strong>Wimpey</strong> ‘do’, Hammersmith<br />

Town Hall, 1940’s!<br />

Frank and I left..... sometime in<br />

1940s at a <strong>Wimpey</strong> Christmas ‘do’.<br />

<strong>Wimpey</strong> Witham ‘do’.<br />

Another presentation!<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

15


16<br />

Congratulations<br />

to two of our pensioners who<br />

both celebrated their 100th<br />

birthdays in 2011:<br />

Mr AE Prince: 29/01/1911<br />

Mr GS Longster: 16/08/1911<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

George celebrated his 100th birthday with<br />

a family party at his home in Delph.


George Longster, the second of this year’s centenarians, was born<br />

in Leeds and started off as a joiner and cabinetmaker. He worked<br />

for Nicholson’s of Leeds and became a quantity surveyor before the<br />

Second World War. In 1939 he joined the Royal Corps of Signals and<br />

rose from Lance Corporal to Sergeant. He served in the North Africa<br />

Campaign fighting Rommel at Tobruk. He was wounded, and captured<br />

in 1943. George was sent to Stalag 18c, a prisoner of war camp in<br />

Austria, and spent the rest of the war there. While there, George kept<br />

a record of his experiences and has recently published this online. It is<br />

a fascinating insight into his life as a prisoner of war and is incredibly<br />

well preserved.<br />

Anyone interested in finding out more<br />

about George’s experiences as a<br />

prisoner of war<br />

should go to:<br />

www.longster.net<br />

After the war, George met his<br />

wife, Minnie, at a dance in<br />

Whitehaven, while on a visit to a<br />

fellow ex prisoner of war, and they<br />

got married in 1946 in York. He<br />

worked as a Quantity Surveyor<br />

for Shepherds of York rising to the<br />

position of Building Operations<br />

Manager for the Bradford area in<br />

the mid 1950s. In 1960 George<br />

and Minnie moved to Delph on<br />

the Yorkshire/Lancashire border<br />

when George joined <strong>Wimpey</strong>’s. George, age 17<br />

He worked as a Speculative<br />

Housing Manager in Leeds for many years, and was a great<br />

friend of Frank Beaumont, who was Regional Manager at the<br />

time. He retired in August 1976.<br />

George celebrated his 100th birthday with a family party at his<br />

home in Delph.<br />

Many thanks to Gerry Cunningham for sending in the<br />

photographs of George’s birthday celebration and to George’s<br />

son Richard Longster for the information about his father’s<br />

remarkable life.<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

17


Benefit updates<br />

Tax<br />

From April 2012 the index against which the personal tax allowance<br />

is increased will change from the Retail Prices Index (RPI) to the<br />

Consumer Prices Index (CPI). This means that the personal allowance<br />

will generally be increasing at a slower rate than it has done previously.<br />

The personal allowance is the amount of income you can receive in the<br />

tax year before tax is deducted.<br />

To stop older people from losing out financially as a result of the<br />

change, for the duration of this parliament the annual increases in the<br />

age-related allowances (that is for over 65s and over 75s) will remain<br />

linked to RPI.<br />

A quick reminder - Winter Fuel Payment<br />

We told you in the Summer In Touch that the Government’s austerity<br />

measures meant that the Winter Fuel Payment was reducing this<br />

year. The basic rate for Winter 2011/12 will be £200 per qualifying<br />

household, rising to £300 if someone in the household is over age 80.<br />

If you are receiving State <strong>Pension</strong> and are normally resident in Great<br />

Britain or Northern Ireland you will usually receive the Winter Fuel<br />

Payment, either into your bank account or by cheque, in November<br />

or December.<br />

If you have any questions about the Winter Fuel Payment you can<br />

get information by calling the Winter Fuel Payments Helpline on:<br />

0845 915 1515 (text phone: 0845 601 5613) Monday to Friday.<br />

18<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

Digital Switchover<br />

Help <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

The traditional analogue television signal is being switched off. The<br />

timing of the switch to digital signal depends on which television<br />

region you live in. Some regions have already switched over.<br />

Televisions will need to be digital by the switchover date to be able<br />

to continue receiving television programs. A letter will be sent to you<br />

when the swtichover is due to take place in your area.<br />

The Switchover Help <strong>Scheme</strong> has been set up by the Government<br />

to help older or disabled people by converting one of their televisions<br />

to digital in the run-up to the switchover. You can receive help to<br />

convert your TV to digital if you:<br />

• are aged 75 or over;<br />

• get or could get Disabilty Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance,<br />

Constant Attendance Allowance, or Mobility Supplement;<br />

• have lived in a care home for six months or more;<br />

• are registered blind or partially sighted.<br />

If you would like help with the<br />

switchover, or to check when it<br />

will happen in your area,<br />

call free from a landline on<br />

0800 40 85 900 or<br />

textphone 0800 40 85 936<br />

between 8am and 8pm<br />

Monday to Friday and<br />

8am and 6pm Saturday and<br />

Sunday. You can also log on to<br />

www.helpscheme.co.uk


<strong>Pension</strong> increase for 2012<br />

The annual increase in the Retail Prices Index (RPI) is used to<br />

calculate the increase to your pension. It is capped at a maximum<br />

increase of 5% per year for your pre April 2006 pension and 2.5%<br />

for your post April 2006 pension. The increase in the September<br />

RPI, was 5.6%, so your pension increase on 1 January 2012 will<br />

be 5% for pension earned before 1 April 2006 and 2.5% for<br />

pension earned from 1 April 2006.<br />

Staying in touch<br />

with your benefits<br />

As well as sending you a copy of In Touch twice a year, the<br />

Trustees sometimes need to send you important information<br />

about your benefits. For example, if you are not receiving your<br />

pension yet the administrators will need to write to you when<br />

it is due to start.<br />

To make sure that you receive all the information you need<br />

about the <strong>Scheme</strong> you need to contact the administrators,<br />

Aon Hewitt, if you change your address. Please write to them<br />

at the address on the back page.<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

19


Recently it has come to our<br />

attention that fraudsters are<br />

telephoning employees or<br />

former employees (including<br />

pensioners), who have Taylor<br />

<strong>Wimpey</strong> shares, and offering to<br />

buy the shares at very attractive<br />

prices – from £15 to £20 a<br />

share. They have obtained the<br />

names and addresses from the<br />

information the Company is<br />

legally obliged to give to<br />

Companies House.<br />

The calls are often followed by a<br />

request for money up front as a<br />

‘bond’ or other form of security,<br />

which they claim will be paid<br />

back if the sale does not go<br />

ahead. Inevitably, the offer is<br />

fraudulent, and any money you<br />

pay will NOT be returned to you.<br />

20<br />

Hoax calls - make sure you don’t get tricked<br />

As we’ve noted in previous newsletters, there are increasing numbers of<br />

fraudsters who are becoming ever more skilled at getting people’s personal<br />

information – not only through the internet but also via the telephone.<br />

Please be extra suspicious if you<br />

receive calls like these, as the<br />

fraudsters are likely to use<br />

high-pressure sales tactics and<br />

have even tricked experienced<br />

investors out of money.<br />

So far we have identified that<br />

these callers state that they are<br />

an ‘investment company based<br />

overseas’ and have called<br />

themselves names such as<br />

‘Grenfell and Blackrun’ and<br />

‘Warr and Fisher’.<br />

So how can you ensure you<br />

don’t get caught? There are a<br />

few simple things to remember:<br />

Any firm calling you ‘out of the<br />

blue’ offering to buy your shares<br />

is unlikely to be a proper firm,<br />

authorised by the Financial<br />

Services Authority.<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

You can check the validity<br />

of a firm by looking at the<br />

register of authorised firms<br />

on The Financial Services<br />

Authority (FSA) website.<br />

Reputable firms, and banks and<br />

building societies will NEVER ask<br />

for your full personal details or<br />

security details over the phone or<br />

online. For example, they will not<br />

ask you for your shareholder’s<br />

number in full ‘for security<br />

purposes’ – rather they will ask<br />

you to confirm part of it.<br />

Just because they sound<br />

convincing, and have a lot of<br />

information about you, doesn’t<br />

mean they are legitimate.<br />

Any deal that sounds too good<br />

to be true is likely not to be true<br />

and should be approached with<br />

extreme caution.<br />

If you receive such a call and<br />

wish to report it, or if you have<br />

any concerns about scam calls,<br />

you can contact the FSA on<br />

http://www.fsa.gov.uk/<br />

Pages/Doing/Regulated/<br />

Law/Alerts/form.shtml<br />

or by calling 0845 606 1234.<br />

Please be wary of any such<br />

calls and make sure that you<br />

only deal with the Company<br />

itself (Taylor <strong>Wimpey</strong>) or<br />

financial services firms that<br />

are authorised by the UK<br />

Financial Services Authority<br />

(FSA).


In Memoriam<br />

We would like to take this opportunity to pass on our sincere condolences to the families of the following pensioners and spouses who<br />

were in receipt of a spouse’s pension from the <strong>Scheme</strong>, who have passed away since the last issue of In Touch.<br />

Name Status Date of Death<br />

James Aldridge <strong>Pension</strong>er 13/08/2011<br />

Frederick Herbert Allsop <strong>Pension</strong>er 03/08/2011<br />

Leslie Richard Andrews <strong>Pension</strong>er 24/08/2011<br />

Harold Barker <strong>Pension</strong>er 06/09/2011<br />

Margaret Mary Ivy Bax Widow 15/09/2011<br />

Creighton William Bidder <strong>Pension</strong>er 14/09/2011<br />

Helene B Blackmore Widow 28/06/2011<br />

David Leonard Bloxham <strong>Pension</strong>er 13/07/2011<br />

Alan Reginald James Brooks <strong>Pension</strong>er 15/07/2011<br />

Frank Hill Burgoyne <strong>Pension</strong>er 03/06/2011<br />

Georgina Burns Widow 28/05/2011<br />

Lesley Burridge <strong>Pension</strong>er 10/06/2011<br />

Brian Thomas Trevor Buttery <strong>Pension</strong>er 15/08/2011<br />

Owen Gabrield Byne Deferred 22/07/2011<br />

Cyril William Chalk <strong>Pension</strong>er 11/10/2011<br />

Ernest Cheetham <strong>Pension</strong>er 02/07/2011<br />

Jennie Cogdell <strong>Pension</strong>er 31/08/2011<br />

Joan Lilian Crowcroft Widow 24/07/2011<br />

Name Status Date of Death<br />

George Gamble Dallas <strong>Pension</strong>er 09/08/2011<br />

Barbara Patricia Davey Widow 22/08/2011<br />

Judith Dawson Widow 28/06/2011<br />

Colin George Day <strong>Pension</strong>er 02/09/2011<br />

Iris Julie Dickinson Widow 01/10/2011<br />

Peter Diggin Deferred 29/08/2011<br />

Mary Teresa Dolan Widow 21/06/2011<br />

John Patrick Dolan <strong>Pension</strong>er 14/07/2011<br />

Herbert Jack Duncan <strong>Pension</strong>er 17/09/2011<br />

Andrew Dyer <strong>Pension</strong>er 09/08/2011<br />

Elsie Joan Ellard Widow 08/10/2011<br />

Jack Fake Widower 04/11/2011<br />

Doreen Fortune Widow 30/05/2011<br />

Derek Geoffrey Fox <strong>Pension</strong>er 09/10/2011<br />

Maurice French <strong>Pension</strong>er 22/10/2011<br />

Anthony Gache <strong>Pension</strong>er 28/06/2011<br />

Diana Jaqueline Galvin <strong>Pension</strong>er 08/08/2011<br />

William Charles Gardner <strong>Pension</strong>er 27/07/2011<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

21


Name Status Date of Death<br />

Edward Roland Gibbs <strong>Pension</strong>er 05/06/2011<br />

Iris Grant Dependant 01/07/2011<br />

John Frederick Grant <strong>Pension</strong>er 09/08/2011<br />

Averil Brenda Griffiths Widow 10/05/2011<br />

Julie Frances Guile Dependant 15/06/2011<br />

Kathleen Betty Hall <strong>Pension</strong>er 09/08/2011<br />

Ronald Harper <strong>Pension</strong>er 26/05/2011<br />

Charles Henry Hearn <strong>Pension</strong>er 24/06/2011<br />

Alan Cecil Hogg Deferred 26/01/2011<br />

Dennis Leslie Hunter <strong>Pension</strong>er 08/08/2011<br />

Gwendoline Ruth Jacklin Widow 14/07/2011<br />

Evelyn James Widow 04/08/2011<br />

Jean Johnson Widow 28/05/2011<br />

Derek Geoffrey Kennington <strong>Pension</strong>er 03/07/2011<br />

Kenneth Kenyon <strong>Pension</strong>er 01/06/2011<br />

Andrew Dick Kerr <strong>Pension</strong>er 20/06/2011<br />

Mary Cater Lambert Widow 30/07/2011<br />

Archie Ulva Lamont <strong>Pension</strong>er 24/08/2011<br />

22<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

Name Status Date of Death<br />

Cornelious Anthony Lane <strong>Pension</strong>er 28/08/2011<br />

Peter Elder Leck Deferred 11/05/2011<br />

Natalie J Lewis Deferred 12/07/2011<br />

Roger Wayne Lucas Deferred 04/07/2011<br />

Peter Anderson Lumsdon <strong>Pension</strong>er 05/05/2011<br />

Michael Joseph Anthony Lynch Deferred 25/01/2011<br />

Charles William Mansfield <strong>Pension</strong>er 29/09/2011<br />

Thomas Henry Matthews <strong>Pension</strong>er 02/07/2011<br />

Henryk Matuszek <strong>Pension</strong>er 07/07/2011<br />

Margaret Doreen Middleton Widow 30/05/2011<br />

Phillip Gwyn Mitchley <strong>Pension</strong>er 28/07/2011<br />

William Moloney <strong>Pension</strong>er 13/06/2011<br />

John Henry Morgan <strong>Pension</strong>er 30/10/2011<br />

Beverly Ann Dawn Moutoe Deferred 12/05/2011<br />

William Munro <strong>Pension</strong>er 11/10/2011<br />

Bridie Myles Widow 27/06/2011<br />

Ronald Norris <strong>Pension</strong>er 07/07/2011<br />

Bridget O’Malley Widow 25/10/2011


Name Status Date of Death<br />

Mary Teresa O'Sullivan Deferred 30/03/2011<br />

Albert Proctor Palmer <strong>Pension</strong>er 04/09/2011<br />

Ian Sidney Patterson <strong>Pension</strong>er 07/06/2011<br />

Michael Bryan Payne <strong>Pension</strong>er 26/09/2011<br />

Doris Price <strong>Pension</strong>er 26/09/2011<br />

Bernard George Reeves <strong>Pension</strong>er 31/08/2011<br />

Marion Richardson Widow 27/09/2011<br />

Elizabeth Christina Rideout <strong>Pension</strong>er 04/11/2011<br />

Harold Owen Roberts <strong>Pension</strong>er 02/09/2011<br />

Bernard Scott Roberts <strong>Pension</strong>er 05/10/2011<br />

Robert Robertson <strong>Pension</strong>er 07/11/2011<br />

Patricia Robinson Widow 26/05/2011<br />

John Henry Rootsey <strong>Pension</strong>er 11/11/2011<br />

Margery Rose Widow 11/09/2011<br />

Stanley Samuel <strong>Pension</strong>er 09/06/2011<br />

Patricia Jean Sanders Widow 04/10/2011<br />

Vera Gwendoline Saunders Widow 31/05/2011<br />

Jonathan James Seymour Deferred 17/08/2011<br />

Name Status Date of Death<br />

William John Simmons <strong>Pension</strong>er 20/05/2011<br />

Charles Michael Sloan <strong>Pension</strong>er 25/09/2011<br />

Mary Smyth Widow 16/08/2011<br />

Agnes Fanny Southall Widow 06/08/2011<br />

Pansy Freda May Spall Widow 16/08/2011<br />

Victor Lionel Standen <strong>Pension</strong>er 06/06/2011<br />

George William Swanson Deferred 04/10/2011<br />

Annie Magwen Taylor Widow 28/05/2011<br />

Peter Sinclair Taylor <strong>Pension</strong>er 11/06/2011<br />

Jean Mary Taylor Widow 28/08/2011<br />

Eric Graham Turner <strong>Pension</strong>er 03/07/2011<br />

Peter Malcolm Walker <strong>Pension</strong>er 06/06/2011<br />

Sarah A Watkins Deferred 14/09/2011<br />

Mary Kathleen Yvette Webb Widow 17/11/2011<br />

Marjorie White Widow 13/11/2011<br />

Stanley John Whiting <strong>Pension</strong>er 07/10/2011<br />

Cynthia Wilson <strong>Pension</strong>er 16/09/2011<br />

William Winning <strong>Pension</strong>er 30/05/2011<br />

Kathleen Wood Widow 29/10/2011<br />

intouch<br />

Issue: Winter 2011<br />

23


24<br />

Contact us<br />

If you have queries about your pension benefits,<br />

need to update your address or Expression of<br />

Wish form or would like a copy of the report and<br />

accounts please contact:<br />

The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Aon Hewitt<br />

5th Floor<br />

The Fountain Precinct<br />

Balm Green<br />

Sheffield S1 2JA<br />

Tel: 0800 262072<br />

Email: wimpey@aonconsulting.co.uk<br />

The news magazine for members of The George <strong>Wimpey</strong> <strong>Staff</strong> <strong>Pension</strong> <strong>Scheme</strong><br />

Your scheme: a helping hand for life after work<br />

For questions about the <strong>Scheme</strong> in<br />

general, to share your stories or to<br />

provide feedback about In Touch<br />

contact the <strong>Pension</strong>s Team at:<br />

Taylor <strong>Wimpey</strong> UK Ltd<br />

The <strong>Pension</strong>s Team<br />

Unit 2 Tournament Court<br />

Edgehill Drive<br />

Warwick<br />

CV34 6LG<br />

Tel: 01926 516985<br />

Email: pensions@taylorwimpey.com

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