Following years of battling for fair treatment and compensation on behalf of Sutton’s Equitable Life pensioners, Andrew Mitchell MP has written to all those constituents who contacted him after they were affected by the fiasco to update them on the Government’s Equitable Life Payment Scheme.
The Scheme has successfully completed the first payment phase and is now making high volumes of payments to policyholders. Thousands of policyholders will receive payment from the Scheme in the coming months, with more than 10,000 payments being made this week alone.
Over the past decade hundreds of Sutton’s pensioners have approached Mr Mitchell for advice and assistance on the issue and he has written over 3,000 letters to those concerned, whilst also seeking to persuade the last Labour Government to treat them fairly.
Following completion of the Payment Scheme’s first phase, Mr Mitchell immediately wrote to all of Sutton’s pensioners who contacted him on the issue, detailing the progress to date since payments started at the end of June 2011. He also enclosed an update information sheet, as issued by Mark Hoban MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
Attached is a copy of the information sheet.
Andrew Mitchell MP said, “Policyholders have waited more than a decade for compensation after Equitable Life came to the brink of ruin in 2000. More than 30,000 people across the UK have died over that time without receiving a penny because the Labour government resisted all attempts to come to a settlement.
“I am pleased that after a decade of delay and indecision by the previous Government, this Government has moved quickly to help policyholders. A number of constituents have already contacted me to let me know that they have received payment and I understand that the volume of payments will continue to be ramped up over the coming months.”
Eligible policyholders that have not received payment yet need not do anything – the Scheme has policyholders’ details from Equitable Life and the Prudential and will contact all the eligible individual policyholders it can by June 2012 at the latest.
The Scheme’s website http://equitablelifepaymentscheme.independent.gov.uk/ and call centre 0300 0200 150 remain available to assist with any further queries or questions policyholders may have.