Pensions Bill

Written evidence from Aubrey Derrick Prance (PB 25)

Whereas the Secretary of State DWP declared>

"In my view the provisions of the Pensions Bill are compatible with the Convention Rights" (section 19(1)(a)of the Human Rights Act 1998.

(1)..I, Aubrey Derrick Prance submit that the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) to which the United Kingdom is still a signatory, preceding the 1998 Bill, does say in article 17 of the act

(1).."Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others

(2)..No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

2..The DWP has conceded and agreed that the SERP is a property right, and I challenge the Department of Work & Pensions, accusing it of misuse of revenue gathered by "freezing" both the SERP & GRB (Graduated Retirement Benefit) for purposes other than its original intention. By the time that I had left England for Australia I had received five (5) increases to my SERP thus establishing a property right.

3..The DWP,  introduced the SERP in 1978, adding the proviso that it would be frozen should the contributor move to, say Australia or Canada for instance, breaks the code of conduct illustrated clearly under article 17 of the UDHR.

Article 17 uses the word "Arbitrarily" deprived of his property

Chambers Dictionary shows it to mean "Capricious" "Whimsical" "Dictatorial" "Authoritarian" and "High handed".

The Department refuses to recognize that they are merely the Trustees to the fund and should be seen to distribute the fund equally among its contributors. Its highhandedness in refusing to recognize this does it no credit. And is in fact illegal!

June 2013