Irish members of troubled mutual Equitable Life can contact an Irish sub-agent of a UK action group for Equitable Life members at blancks@yahoo.com.

Equitable is no longer paying annual returns on its with-profit bonds and cut pension payments to holders of its with-profit annuities by 29 per cent in November.

The email address belongs to a pensioner holding an Equitable with-profit annuity. This Dublin resident is in contact with around 30 Equitable Life members in Ireland. Difficulties at Equitable Life arose after the policies of people who became members during the 1980s matured.

These policyholders had been guaranteed payment of a final bonus at a certain level on maturity. The payments, together with investment losses and compensation to some former policyholders, have seen the society's free reserves plummet. The Irish funds were not ringfenced.

Most of the 20,000 Irish members were part of company pension schemes that have since been moved to other life assurers.