Meena promotes meaning of pensions

Last Updated: April 4, 2017 This post was written by Clive Price

meena pic 3 - 1Pensions are big news – so they must be important. That’s the conclusion of the Methodist Church’s new pensions team manager Meena Tooray.

MMHS and Meena’s team assist each other where they can in a spirit of mutual support, as they serve retired ministers. When MMHS spoke to Meena about this article, she was compiling the annual Members’ Report.

MAKING AWARE

‘Pensions is a complex subject,’ said Meena. ‘But our people are quite well educated by us.’

Her team send out various communications through the year. They also make sure their contact details are highlighted on their webpage. In an age of costly consultants – and even more costly scammers – accurate information is vital.

‘It’s about making people aware we are here,’ Meena explained, ‘and there’s no charge for talking to us.’

They keep members informed about changes in legislation. That means they rely on members to keep them informed about changes of address. ‘It’s about maintaining communication,’ Meena explained.

Meena looks after the day-to-day operation of the Church’s pensions, which are paid to ministers and lay employees. That includes co-ordinating trustee meetings, ensuring everything runs according to rules and keeping all data up-to-date.

She has more than 20 years’ experience in pensions. A qualified mathematician, Meena joined the industry when banking and finance were respected.

THOROUGHLY ENJOYED

Meena started work in the 80s with no idea what terms like ‘superannuation’s’ meant. ‘I found it really interesting,’ she said. One of her first jobs was based near St Paul’s Cathedral. Her office window gave Meena a bird’s eye view of Prince Charles’ and Lady Diana’s wedding.

Since then, Meena has worked for such corporate giants as Capita and major charity Family Action. At one point she ran no fewer than 13 schemes. ‘I thoroughly enjoyed it,’ said Meena. ‘You have to enjoy what you do. And it’s been very rewarding.’ (This article is the full version of a story that appears in the spring 2017 edition of Roof ‘n’ Roots)