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Welcome to the Retired Members Branch

Retirement can bring about uncertainty and apprehension, but it also opens the door to new opportunities. The Retired Members Branch offers a supportive community for those transitioning into retirement. Membership is completely free—no subscription required—and registration is straightforward.

Joining the Retired Members Branch allows you to remain connected as a valued member. To join, send an email to RetiredMembersCommittee@poauk.org.uk. Once your application is received, you will receive an acknowledgement and a warm welcome.

Committee members:

  • Chair – Steve Whitfield

  • Deputy Chair – Mick Grattan

  • Secretary – Samuel Jameson

  • Phil Stanbridge

  • Paul Carr

  • To contact the committee email RetiredMembersCommittee@poauk.org.uk 

The ethos of the Retired Members Branch is to foster a sense of community among former Prison Officers. The committee organises social events across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, embracing inclusivity and non-discrimination. While ideas and suggestions from members are encouraged, decisions are ultimately made by the Retired Members Committee during quarterly meetings.

 

 

Membership Benefits

Members of the Retired Members Section will receive the following benefits:

  1. Free membership with no subscription fees
  2. POA Diary
  3. A copy of the Gatelodge magazine
  4. Access to all commercial Benefits negotiated for full members.
  5. Access to Chesterton Grant for financial advice, including pension tracing, investments, estate planning, and fee-free mortgage advice

Please note, the branch does not offer a death benefit; members are responsible for making their own arrangements, as outlined in the POA rules and constitution. Additionally, only those fully retired from the Prison Service are eligible to join.

NEW: Retired Members Pack

See the following offers / leaflets from BBS Legal Services & Thompsons Solicitors:

Buying & Selling Your Home

Buying a new build home

Conveyancing

Equity Release

Free Wills

Lasting Power of Attorney

Legal Services

Wills and Probate

 

 

Latest News from the Retired Members Committee

The committee is committed to keeping members informed about ongoing developments and advocacy efforts. Over the past year, significant efforts have been made to secure access to the Blue Light Card for retired Prison Officers. Despite facing multiple hurdles, the committee remains dedicated to achieving parity with other retired groups, such as police officers and fire personnel. Members are encouraged to lend their support in this ongoing pursuit.

The Retired Members Committee is affiliated with the National Pensioners Convention, an organisation advocating for older people in the UK. Committee members have actively participated in annual and bi-annual conferences. There has also been contact with Later Life Ambitions (LLA), with hopes for continued collaboration and progress.

A recent positive development is the acquisition of separate funding and an audited bank account, as verified by the NEC. This independence allows the Retired Members Committee to operate freely while maintaining strong relationships with the NEC, who have provided support and valuable advice.

Quarterly meetings are well-attended, held either via Teams or in person. The committee represents retired POA members across all UK nations and strives to be accessible and inclusive. Two open house events were held recently—one at the CASA Club in Liverpool (August 2024) and another at The Griffin in Glasgow (March 2025)—with further events planned. All members are encouraged to participate and support these gatherings.

A Message from the Retired Members Committee

The Retired Members Committee are keen to enhance the distribution of information to the 3380 Retired Members registered with the POA. When looking at this matter we discovered that contact details were missing, making it very difficult to contact each member belonging to the POA Retired Members Section. To this end we require Retired Members to forward the following information to update the membership data base and help us as a committee deliver a better service to you.

We require the following information to be sent to   RetiredMembersCommittee@poauk.org.uk

FULL NAME
HOME ADDRESS
EMAIL ADDRESS
CONTACT NUMBER
DATE OF RETIREMENT
LAST KNOWN ESTABLISHMENT  

 

 

An update will follow on from this with further information as to what we intend to offer our members in terms of functions and clubs. Also we are interested to hear from you as members as to what you would like us to do for you.

Thank you for your support.

Tax refund Co

 

Dear POA Member

You may be entitled to a tax refund…

If you pay tax, there’s a fairly high chance you’ve paid too much.
As a member of the POA you are eligible to have your tax code checked by professional tax experts at The Tax Refund Company.

Very few members think they are owed a refund before they fill in the form. Most of those getting a refund were pleasantly surprised when a cheque arrived in the post.

The main points to note are…

  • For every £1 paid back by HMRC, you keep 62p (minimum fee £38*)
  • Your review is free if you do not get a tax refund
  • You will keep all future savings

You should not assume HMRC will send you a refund if you have overpaid tax. It is up to you to check if you have paid too much.

To start your review, go to www.poatax.co.uk

Alternatively, print out the form overleaf, fill it in and send it to the freepost address at the bottom of the form and they will email you to let you know if you could be due a refund.

This is your hard earned money. Don’t let HMRC keep it!

Yours faithfully

Steve Gillan
General Secretary

Refund form download

Don’t delay, join today and continue your association with this proud Trade Union that cares for past and present members

Contact our membership department to join the Retired Members Branch. Please email membership@poauk.org.uk.

Representing over 30,000 Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers, the POA is the largest UK Union in this sector, able to trace its roots back more than 100 years.

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