Merchant Navy Pension Fund

[john walker]

I was at sea for 16yrs. In the MNOPF for 3yrs.been intouch with the pension fund,I can take my pension at 65, Final salary pension.

I thought everybody who was in the MNOPF were paid their pension from the age of 61, I was. I asked at the time from the administrators could I roll it over till I was 65 and was informed that it would be very costly from a tax point of view so as it was not a large pension pot I took about £11,000 as a lump sum (Tax free) and receive about about £115 a month now after tax.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Quite honestly I would say count your blessings, some of us got nothing, and are still getting it, after decades of trying

[j.sabourn]

I took it as an early pension at 52 or 53. If I went back into British ships I had to inform them, I never received no lump sum and the pension is only a nominal amount as retired in good health. However was a lifesaver when working on non federated ships at extremely low pay. As if hadn't had things would of been extremely tight. Was supposed to go up yearly, but on the continuing demise of the British MN has stayed the same for years. The owners pensions those that had were supposed to retire on two thirds of final salary and go up pro rata every pay rise. Don't know of anyone who ever got this unless Brian did. This was when retirement age was 62, many years ago. The big tanker companys most retired at 55. As said in a previous post the master of one of the Queens came back as 2nd. Mate on cargo ships after retirement, was still a young man and missed the sea. He must also have had a good pension so wasn't the money that was the attraction. Is the only case I can say that I know of where one did well out of a pension scheme, apart from others one hears about. If I had taken the shipping office doctors advice and failed the medical on eyesight would of probably got the full pension, the same as my mate the engineer, but could not have gone back to sea. So chose what I thought was the lesser or two evils. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

#12... Ivan if you have money lying there you are perfectly entitled to it. The MNOPF has a fairly good name for management of its funds, and up until I came out of it received info. what I had in both the old part and the new and the expected pension on reaching retirement age, which never reached their estimates due to circumstances beyond their control. The likes of one that I was in by the owners which was non contributory and was called a top up one to the MNOPF and was supposed to make sure you got two thirds of final salary as pension, that disappeared with the company and tried for 3 years to get, no joy, they kept on changing the insurance company. These are the likes of people who should explain themselves in general. Cheers JS

[Captain Kong]

I get £Pension a month from MNOPF, and a Pension from ESSO that was None Contributory and Two Lump sums with excellent investment advice from the Financial Advisers of ESSO.
Brian

[john walker]

#12 Ivan as John states if you have money in the fund then they have to pay you? The fund contacted me after I had answered a letter from a company that they used to find lost benificiary's of the fund. I had forgotten that I was a member of the fund. I only paid into it for about 4 years when I worked for the last British flagged vessels that I sailed on. After initial contact was made I had to send various forms back and proof of identity etc. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount involved.

[Ivan Cloherty]

14 & 16 have tried all that and still trying, it will only be peanuts anyway. Like NHI when I came back from abroad after 8 years and paying into UK system during that period they couldn't find my records, so no benefits, but they manage to take the D/D during that period, not that it mattered too much I had a job within the week, life ain't all smooth sailing!

[j.sabourn]

#17... About 4 years ago Ivan I received a letter from the solicitors of John I Jacobs who I worked for about 3 years and was in their non contributory pension scheme for about 2. There was a cheque for a few quid in that they had paid in on my behalf. I congratulate them on their honesty. The same cannot be said for another company I worked for, for 8 years. Cheers JS

[Tony Wilkes]

Re Pension Fund I served in The Merchant Navy from 1970 till 1978 discharge no R892016 and this is the first time I have heard any one speak of a pension I served my time on British Ships so I don't suppose I will be entitled to anything I worked in the engine room as a Mechanic and also Generally Purpose on Tankers we do get a rough deal as some one else pointed out.Even The R.B.L. Don't want to Recognise us ex seafarers Tony Wilkes

[Captain Kong]

Hi Tony ,
ask our Lord John Prescott what happened to the Pension Fund in the NUS, no doubt he will spill the beans.
He doesn't talk to me anymore.
Brian