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Public pays £1.6 million for council pensions
MORE than £1.6 million of taxpayers' money is being used to fund pensions for council staff in South Lakeland.
In addition, £22.3 million of public money is spent on pensions for employees of Cumbria County Council.
According to figures released by South Lakeland District Council, the local authority paid out £1,673,000 as part of the employer contribution portion of pension schemes in 2007/08 - this is a rise of £216,000 on the £1,457,000 paid the previous year; an inflation-busting rise of 14.8 per cent in a year.
| Full story in The Westmorland Gazette | |
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With a population of approximately 104,800 in South Lakeland, that works out at £16 per person spent on council employees' pensions this financial year.
The total population of Cumbria is 496,000; this means the county council spent £45 of public money on pensions for staff (excluding teachers and fire-fighters) for every man, woman and child living in Cumbria.
The amount of public money spent by local authorities on the Local Government Pension Scheme - which is linked to final salary - has been criticised by campaign group, the Taxpayers' Alliance.
Helen Smith, SLDC's head of finance, said that the pensions system would be changing soon, forcing employees to contribute more to their pension plan.
What do you think? Write to Letters to the Editor, The Westmorland Gazette, 1 Wainwright's Yard, Kendal, Westmorland LA9 4DP or email your views to letters@ kendal.newsquest.co.uk, or post a comment below.
8:48am Friday 28th March 2008
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CommentPosted by: Adam S, Kendal on 1:41pm Fri 28 Mar 08
No surprise though since our Council tax is astronomically high. They get their free parking at the back of the offices and no doubt loads of other benefits, yet god-forbid you go in to the offices to pay for your parking permit and you met by some obnoxious person who I was obviously disturbing from reading her magazine. Pathetic! My blood is boiling!
No surprise though since our Council tax is astronomically high. They get their free parking at the back of the offices and no doubt loads of other benefits, yet god-forbid you go in to the offices to pay for your parking permit and you met by some obnoxious person who I was obviously disturbing from reading her magazine. Pathetic! My blood is boiling!
Posted by: Keith Moore, Kendal on 2:25pm Wed 2 Apr 08
Adam
I am very concerned about your comment especially if you received poor service when you came in to our office to pay for your parking permit. I would like to investigate this further but I would like some more details to do so. If you are prepared to discuss the matter please contact me. My email address is k.moore@southlakelan
d.gov.uk or you can call me on 01539 717242 or pop in to the reception in South Lakeland House and ask for me.
Keith Moore - Customer Service Manager SLDC.
Adam
I am very concerned about your comment especially if you received poor service when you came in to our office to pay for your parking permit. I would like to investigate this further but I would like some more details to do so. If you are prepared to discuss the matter please contact me. My email address is k.moore@southlakelan
d.gov.uk or you can call me on 01539 717242 or pop in to the reception in South Lakeland House and ask for me.
Keith Moore - Customer Service Manager SLDC.
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