History of the NI CSPA
NICSPA is established
In 1953 a small number if dedicated & enthusiastic Retired Civil Servants met in Belfast determined to do something about the state of their Civil Service Pension. Then there was no link to the rates paid in Great Britain nor was their any commitment from Government to regularly increase the Pension nor any mechanism to do so. That meeting decided to set up the Northern Ireland Civil Service Pensioners Association ( NICSPA ). This was focused on Civil Servants employed by the Northern Ireland Civil Service only & did not recruit Civil Servants working for what was then called the Home Civil Service such as Ministry of Defence , Passport Service & Inland Revenue.
They were aware of the creation of the CSPA , one year earlier & whilst there was the sharing of information between the two organisations they remained separate in terms of structure & membership. Indeed the NICSPA sent regular donations to CSPA for advice & support over the years.
In 1970 NICSPA became more aware of the members of the Home Civil Service Pension Scheme & asked CSPA did they operate in Northern Ireland for those members. The answer was no but CSPA did confirm that they had individual members in Northern Ireland.
CSPA asked NICSPA whether they had ever thought of becoming a Branch of CSPA ?
They pointed out that within CSPA their Scotland and Malta Branches operated completely free and independent and they still sent representatives to the CSPA AGM. NICSPA were invited to join on the same basis. The request was initially rejected in favour of seeking affiliation to the Public Sector Pensioners Council ( now abolished ) but in May 1979 the offer to join CSPA as an autonomous Branch with a reserved seat on the Executive Council was agreed in principle.
NICSPA becomes a branch of the CSPA
The proposal to merge NICSPA was carried unanimously by both the NICSPA & CSPA Annual General Meetings in 1980.
It was also agreed that the new CSPA Northern Ireland Branch would take membership from both those members in the Northern Ireland Civil Service Pension Scheme & the UK Civil Service Pension Scheme becoming unique within CSPA as the only Branch/Group to represent members in two Pension Schemes. Whilst similar they are different & administered separately.
Since the merger the Branch has remained autonomous but annually sends healthy financial donations to CSPA headquarters but pays all of its own expenses.
