Former mineworkers and widows from across Nottinghamshire have welcomed today’s Budget announcement on the decades-long pensions battle but say the fight is not yet over.

Former mineworkers and widows from across Mansfield were expecting to be celebrating the end of a decades long fight following today’s Autumn Budget.

But many have been left feeling disappointed after Chancellor John Healey failed to give a timeline surrounding the pension fund surplus and admitted there is still more to do.

Delivering the Autumn Budget Chancellor John Healey said: “For ex-mineworkers, I’m guaranteeing that every penny of the pension fund surplus now goes to miners. I know the job’s not finished and I will go on to ensure the full transfer of the guarantor’s fund.”

Former mineworkers and widows at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool

placeholder image — Former mineworkers and widows at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool

Mick Newton who worked at Thoresby Colliery for 15 years and has been fighting for a fairer deal for the past decade said the announcement did not go far enough.

He added: “I'm pleased the Chancellor in his statement accepted our case in principle, but it was too vague in my view.

“We've waited long enough, so the big question is when?”

"We’ve had meetings at Westminster, meetings with ministers and kept it very much in the public eye and at the top of the political agenda and it just doesn’t seem right that it hasn’t been done and dusted today.

Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey holds up the traditional red ministerial box as he leaves 11 Downing Street, London, before delivering his first Budget to the Houses of Parliament. Picture date: Wednesday October 28, 2026. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Dylan Martinez/Press Association

"There’s no excuse whatsoever for The Treasury to be dragging their feet at the eleventh hour.

"I don’t blame the MPs or the Chancellor; I blame the bureaucracy of Westminster.

"We’ve got the victory agreed in prinicipal but it all feels a bit like a damp squib as we’d been told earlier in the year we would have a siginificant pay rise before Christmas and a lump sum back dated so it’s disappointing from that aspect.

"We’ been at this 20 years and had many rejections and slaps in the face so we dust ourselves off, keep the pressure on and keep fighting until the money is in our pockets.”

There are around 150,000 living members of the two primary pension schemes covering ex-miners.

Campaigners have spent decades pushing to amend the 50/50 surplus-sharing agreement, ensuring members receive the full benefit of surpluses.

In 1994, when British Coal was privatised, it was agreed the Government would get half of any surplus from the pot in return for guaranteeing the value of the pensions would not decrease.

Successive Governments have made £4.8bn from the deal over the last 30 years.

When both the The Mineworkers' Pension Scheme (MPS) and The British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSS) schemes were set up, the government was keen that some money should be held in reserve to ensure there was enough cash to pay out to members.

However, far more reserve money was built up in both funds than ever needed and following years of campaigning government changes so far have led to more than £1 billion being transferred back to the MPS and more than £2 billion transferred back to the BCSSS.

The Budget announcement comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in October last year that the entirety of the MPS investment reserve would be handed over to ex-coal miners and their families.

However members of the National Mineworkers Pension Campaign have been calling for the rest to be released as soon as possible.

Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves agreed in the last two Budgets to release part of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) cash.