A lifetime of service
At Clergy Support Trust, we believe that the people who have spent their lives serving their communities should be able to enjoy a safe retirement of financial security, free of worries for the future.
In fact, almost 10% of the retired clergy we support have given 40 years or more's service to the Church, their congregations and communities. Despite this dedicated service, many are struggling to pay their energy bills, and to afford vital household adaptations and mobility aids.
Last month, we were approached by Rob White, a journalist for The Telegraph, along with others championing the wellbeing of retired clergy, including The Revd Cassa Messervey, Chair of the English Clergy Association, and Malcolm Liles, Secretary of the Retired Clergy Association.
Rob spoke with our Chief Executive, The Revd Ben Cahill-Nicholls, about the financial challenges facing those in their golden years.
Clergy Pensions
Following significant campaigning by members of The Archbishops' Council and retired clergy - as well as our own meetings with key church change-makers - proposals to increase clergy pensions were put forward to General Synod, and approved in July 2025.
The key recommendations of the proposal included:
- Restoring the target pension level to two-thirds of pensionable stipend for future service.
- Uplifting benefits for active and deferred members to reflect a two-thirds accrual rate since 2011.
- Providing an increase to pensions that have come into payment since 2011.
While these welcome changes will come into force from 1 April 2026, many retired clergy - both until, and beyond this date - will continue to struggle to afford the essentials, and will rely on Clergy Support Trust to get by. Find out more in Madeleine Davies' article in The Church Times.
Support available
In many of our conversations with both serving and retired clergy, and their families, there is often a concern that by seeking our support, they will be depriving another family in need of a much-needed grant.
Retired clergy households should be equipped to thrive, not just survive. If you have need, we are here to support you.
If you are unsure of the ways that we can walk alongside you, or whether you are eligible for our grants, we would encourage you to visit our online Eligibility Checker. It's simple, easy to use and should only take you a few moments to complete.
If you have any questions, please visit our Questions and Guidance page before reaching out to us.
If you can't find an answer to your query, and would like to speak to one of our Charitable Services team, call us on 0800 389 5192, or email grants@clergysupport.org.uk. We are currently receiving a high number of queries, so please bear with us and we will reply as soon as we can.
