With 167,000 members, UNISON’s retired members organisation remains one of the union’s most active, proving that trade union values don’t stop at retirement.
This year’s national retired members’ conference, held in Brighton last week, opened with a powerful panel discussion on pensioner poverty. Speakers included Neil Duncan-Jordan, the independent MP for Poole, Morgan Vine from the charity Independent Age, Jack Jones from the TUC and UNISON’s head of pensions Glyn Jenkins.
Delegates heard that 1.9 million pensioners in the UK now live in poverty — a shocking figure for the world’s sixth richest country.
Solutions discussed included tackling high housing and energy costs and simplifying pension credit applications, while addressing low pay and encouraging pension contributions earlier in working life.
A conference highlight was the launch of new UNISON training for retired members, co-produced by activists and staff, with three national sessions planned for 2026 alongside regional events. A new handbook for retired branch secretaries was also published.
Motions debated focused on dignity in retirement, affordable housing, quality social care, retaining the triple lock, and tackling loneliness and digital exclusion. Delegates criticised the Labour government’s scrapping of the winter fuel allowance for most pensioners and its handling of the WASPI women’s campaign.
UNISON president Catherine McKenna, chairing her first retired members’ conference, reminded delegates that “today’s workers are tomorrow’s pensioners”, highlighting the shared interests of universal health services and decent income.
Rosie MacGregor, chair of the national retired members committee, urged continued activism: “Showing solidarity is one of the key areas where retired members can remain active by assisting in campaigning, attending rallies, fundraising and visiting picket lines.”
The article Nearly two million pensioners in the UK now live in poverty first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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