Former miner Dave Drury, who started work at Welbeck Colliery, in Mansfield, when he was 16, watched the budget at his pub the Black Market.
“We’ve finally got justice”, he said.
“Every penny in that scheme is from our wages and employer contributions.
“It’s a victory that we’ve got it returned but we are still bitter.”
Speaking of the members who have died, he added: “It’s sad that they never got to receive pensions that they deserved.”
Mansfield’s Labour MP Steve Yemm has campaigned on the issue since his election last year.
“This is so important to me, my family worked in the industry and I absolutely understand when the former mineworkers say they want justice in their pensions,” he said.
“For me it could never come soon enough. They paid into this scheme year after year doing one of the hardest jobs you could imagine.
“It’ll mean a 50% increase into their pension, and I believe it will be backdated for a year. The trustees will be looking to get that to them as soon as possible.”