Benefit blow to family as Sargeant’s funeral to take place
THE funeral of former Minister Carl Sargeant will take place today as it emerged that his family will receive a reduced death-in-service benefit because of his removal from the Cabinet by First Minister Carwyn Jones.
Mr Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life four days after being told he should step down as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children following unspecified allegations of sexual harassment, which he strongly denied.
His funeral will take place at noon at St Mark’s Church, Connah’s Quay, in the Alyn & Deeside constituency that he represented from 2003 until his death.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his deputy, Tom Watson, are expected to attend, but Mr Jones will not be at the funeral because Mr Sargeant’s family believe his presence could detract from a celebration of the late politician’s life and achievements.
The rules of the Assembly Members’ Pension Scheme state: “Were you to die in service as a participating member before reaching age 75, the trustees may pay a lump sum gratuity equal to two times your salary (including your office holder salary if you were an office holder at the time of your death), or a refund of your contributions with interest if higher, to your nominated beneficiary or beneficiaries.”
If Mr Sargeant had still been a Cabinet member when he died, his widow would have received £204,200 as a death-in-service benefit – twice the salary of £102,100. But because he was a backbencher at the time of his death, the death-in-service benefit will be £130,688 – twice the basic AM salary of £65,344.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “This is a matter for the National Assembly. The Welsh Government does not pay ministers or make pension arrangements.”
An Assembly spokeswoman said: “When the Pensions Board of Trustees receives confirmation from Welsh Government that a Cabinet secretary is no longer an office-holder, the impact on the benefits payable takes effect from the date they cease to hold that post.
“Benefits payments are adjusted according to the offices Assembly Members hold and when any changes come into effect, e.g. following Cabinet reshuffles, changes to committee chairs.
“The Assembly’s pension scheme is administered by a board of trustees, including an independent chair who is not an Assembly Member nor Assembly Commission member of staff.
“The board of trustees has no discretion to pay benefits other than as set out in the rules. Benefit calculations are made strictly in accordance with the Assembly Members’ Pension Scheme rules.”
A spokesman for the Welsh Conservatives said: “Carl Sargeant served with distinction as a Welsh Government minister for 10 years. We would hope that any payout for his death in service would be fair and reflective of his enormous achievements as a minister, and the huge void he leaves behind. Anything less than is owed would add insult to injury for a family still in mourning.
“Many will have noticed that when Assembly Members convened in the Chamber to pay tribute to Carl’s life, it was his frontbench Cabinet seat that was left vacant.”
A legal source said: “This is one of the many issues that should be looked at in the context of the way Carl Sargeant was treated. The First Minister should have referred him for investigation under the Ministerial Code.”