Established in the 1980s, the West Midlands Pensioners’ Convention (WMPC) is the local organisation of the National Pensioners’ Convention (NPC) – npcuk.org. At its inaugural meeting in Westminster Central Hall in 1979, the NPC adopted a “Declaration of Intent”, as follows:
NPC DECLARATION OF INTENT (1979)
This Convention declares that every pensioner has the right to choice, dignity, independence and security as an integral and valued member of society.
These rights require an adequate State retirement pension. There must be an immediate commitment to a pension level of not less than one half of average gross earnings for a married couple and not less than one third of average gross earnings for a single person, uprated at six-monthly intervals.
In addition to an adequate income a pensioner should, as of right:
- live in accommodation which is appropriate to personal need and circumstance with a reasonable degree of choice, including sheltered housing;
- be able to call on the full range of community and personal social services to give full support as need arises, including, for example, home helps, meals on wheels, chiropody, television and telephone;
- be able to use a National Scheme of substantial concessionary facilities on all public transport in all parts of the country;
- have ready access to comprehensive free healthcare on demand;
- be able to maintain a warm and well-lit home with adequate heating allowance cover;
- have full access to a varied and extensive range of education and leisure facilities;
- be paid a regular tax-free Christmas bonus of £20, adjusted in future in line with inflation;
- be eligible for an adequate retirement pension on ceasing work at any time of his or her choice after the age of 60 years, without being subject to an earnings rule;
- be entitled to an adequate death grant irrespective of age.
The NPC represents around 1.1 million members in over 1,000 different organisations across the UK. It campaigns for both today’s and tomorrow’s pensioners, and to unite the generations in defence of the welfare state and public services.
WMPC is involved in pensioner issues such as free adult social care, decent state pensions, universal pensioner benefits, food and fuel poverty, and the preservation and development of our National Health Service, which should be inclusive and free at the point of use. The internal market and part privatisation should be ended and there should be greater democratic control of NHS services. We also meet regularly with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), the Transport Authority for much of our area, to ensure our local public transport system meets the needs of older people.
We are very proud of our history and hope you will join us. Simply complete our membership contact form and leave the rest to us. You will receive a introductory letter, membership card, regular updates and much more. We only make a small membership subscription a year, and your contribution helps fund our campaigns.
Many trade union branches and other organisations in the region are affiliated to WMPC; just request further information from any near you. Alternatively, you can consider starting a branch in your area. We will be happy to advise and assis
Please consider joining or campaigning with us soon. You can join our Facebook Group to keep up to date with news and events affecting older people – https://www.facebook.com/groups/7125023377569919