
Royal Mail faces £330M pension shortfall
The Royal Mail faces a pensions black hole of pounds 330m following the collapse in the stock market. To make good the substantial deficit, it has asked the regulator, Postcomm, for the flexibility to make further increases in the price of a stamp on top of a planned 1p rise from next April. The loss-making postal group is warning that it also faces an extra pounds 120m bill to cover National Insurance Contributions following NIC increases announced in the budget. Royal Mail may require a further pounds 280m to cover potential increases in interest payments on Government loans. Royal Mail last valued its pounds 15bn pension fund three years ago, before the bear market in equities set in with a vengeance. It is planning a new actuarial valuation in the spring, but has already estimated this will show a deficit of pounds 330m.
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