Government reveals public sector pension overspend
Public sector pensions overpayments since 1978 exceed £120 million, the government has admitted.A minister has also said that claiming back the money would not be possible for cost reasons.Payments to workers such as NHS doctors and civil servants are included in the total.Some pensions are to be reduced from the start of the new financial year next April as a result of the finding.Liam Byrne MP, minister for the cabinet office, commented: "Some pensioners will have their payments reduced and others will see increases in their payments in 2009 which are less than the annual inflation uprating."He added: "The advice of the accounting officers of the schemes is that it is unlikely to be cost-effective to attempt recovery of these monies from individuals."News of the pensions reductions has yet to be given to the retirees affected.Public sector pensions in the UK hold estimated deficits exceeding £900 billion.
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