The legislation, which was signed into law in 2022 by the UK Government under the Finance Act, is being applied retrospectively to members of the fund prior to November 4, 2021. It is an attempt to rectify age discrimination that took place against younger public service pension scheme members when pensions switched from final salary schemes to career average payments.

Now the Clwyd Pension Fund – which supports retired council officers, councillors and selected partner organisations from Wrexham, Flintshire and Denbighshire – has been asked to respond to a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government consultation on the implementation of the changes.

Some committee members branded the change ‘unjust’ – claiming council employees across North Wales who are planning their retirement are finding their plans negatively impacted with no way of preparing their finances.

The Clwyd Pension Fund has around 52,000 members and pays out more than £70m in pensions annually. Its funds are managed in part by the Wales Pension Partnership (WPP).

“Because the change is retrospective and affects anybody who was in the fund immediately prior to November 2021, anybody that has joined the fund since may not be aware of the changes (to the minimum pension age),” said Karen Williams, the fund’s Pensions Administration Manager.

“As a result I do think some members have been potentially blindsided by the change. There has been a lack of communication, I think, in terms of members being able to make informed decisions in relation to their future planning for retirement, especially for their retirement living standards.

“When the age was increased from 50 to 55 it was a future change and people were able to plan for it., I don’t think there has been a consistent approach in relation to changing it from 55 to 57.

“It doesn’t help members and it doesn’t help us as officers administering the fund.”

Committee members were critical of the change.

“A significant number of our staff do hard, physical work,” said Flintshire Cllr Alasdair Ibbotson.

“For example, binmen, having to go around in their late 50s – bearing in mind we are talking about an increase in the age when you can claim a reduced pension – having to go around and do that physical labour well into their 60s is not reasonable.

“The fact the UK Government is trying to impose this change should be fiercely resisted. Retirement age is a political decision and should be treated as such.”

As officers reminded the committee that the legislation itself was not up for consultation or change – only the implementation of it – Wrexham Cllr Anthony Wedlake spoke out.

“It’s a political decision,” he said. “We should still be able to comment on the fairness of the decision as a committee. This clearly affects our members.”

Despite the legislation having already having been passed by Parliament, Cllr Ibbotson asked the committee to formally note its opposition to the idea of increasing the minimum retirement age – especially as the Clwyd Pension Fund’s own demographic data shows projected life expectancy falling.

“Changing the pension age is extracting more and more from working people when less and less is expected  of the very richest in our society,” he said. “It is not valid or just.

“If we submit a narrow, technical response we are giving tacit consent to this change and we shouldn’t. We should resist it.

“This committee has previously, repeatedly issued statements against pooling the fund and said ‘our hands are tied but we do not agree with it.

“We should do the same here because it is morally unjust.”

The committee supported Cllr Ibbotson’s recommendation and the committee placed on record it’s objection to the changes to pension age.