There is so much more legislation nowadays about employment, that a lot of the unions' job has been done for them - particularly by the EU :) :) Although, undoubtedly, unions can still do a good job in some instances, they can be very self-destructive :( :( Our local FE College is a case-in-point :(

Daisy

Yes, I understand, how let down you must feel!? So sorry, I know of no help, but Hubby had the same thing with his pension recently, after being told he COULD take one of them as a lump sum, and so included in our plans of buying a boat and paying for the move to Greece, we now find we can't take a lump sum as the law changed last April, so goodbye to the £20,000 we had put away. If we had known it wouldn't even have gone into the pot! Totally changes your life and plans doesn't it? I wonder why we bother, because if we didn't and spent everything we would have everything provided for us in our old age. If we plan and put away money, like a pension plan etc, we get penalised and have to pay for everything! Sometimes it doesn't seem worth the effort! All the best, Dawn X

PS Couldn't you find a Solicitor to go for a no win no fee plan? Maybe my favourite Solicitor, Rob, would be able to give advice?(don't tell him I said or else he might not help, seeing as I'm not on his Christmas card list!)