WASPI - Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign

This morning Simon Collyer (the ABC's Head Dish Washer) visited his GP for the  annual MOT. Simon started chatting to nurse Jan Warren. Jan is involved in the WASPI Campaign. WASPI stands for Women Against State Pension Inequality. As we heard more about this injustice, we can only say we wish these ladies the best of luck, and hope we can bring you more (positive) news in future. 

This is what WASPI campaigners have to say…

1950’s women unfairly prejudiced by State Pension Age changes

The 1995 Conservative Government’s State Pension Act included plans to increase women’s state pension age from 60 to 65 so that it was the same as men’s.

But because of the way the increases were brought in, hundreds of thousands of women born in the 1950’s (on or after 6th April 1951) have been hit particularly hard (including us!!!!). We are angry that we have been treated unfairly and unequally just because of the day we were born.

Significant changes to the age we receive our state pension have been imposed upon us with a lack of appropriate notification, with little or no notice and much faster than we were promised – some of us have been hit by more than one increase.

As a result, hundreds of thousands of us are suffering financial hardship, with not enough time to re-plan for our retirement. Women are telling us that they can’t believe their retirement age has increased by 4, 5 or 6 years and they didn’t even know about it!!

With no other source of income (until the 1990s many women weren’t allowed to join company pension schemes, many of us are carers or in poor health) securing work is proving impossible and zero contract hours or Job Seekers’ Allowance is the only alternative for many.

We want to put this right – the next step is to find out if we have a legal case. But we need your help!

So how have 1950’s women been treated unfairly and unequally?

1950’s women have been singled out for unfair and unequal treatment because of the way the increases to our state pension age have been brought in.

In fact, Anne started a campaign and petition on this issue after receiving a letter from the Department of Work & Pensions to say that her expected retirement age had been increased - only 18 months before her 60th birthday!

Issues that have come to light after we looked into the matter include:

Recommendations to give fair notice were ignored

• The Turner Commission recommended 15 years notice, and Saga recommended 10 years. Yet many women report receiving little or no notice.

We weren’t appropriately or personally notified of the first changes in 1995

• Steve Webb said to Anne in an email that: “ …many women were not aware at the time of these changes (1995). Although there was – not surprisingly – widespread media coverage of the issue, for women in their mid 40s at the time, pensions might not have been a subject of great interest. Unfortunately, this means that when we contact people now to let them know their state pension age they are often learning for the first time about the 1995 Act”
• Ros Altmann, current Pensions Minister, said in Money Observer in May 2013: "until recently, many of these women were expecting to receive their state pension at age 60, since they were unaware of the changes made in 1995”
• but, MPs, Judges & Civil Servants received 10 years’ transitional protection from any rise in their Occupational Pension age

and

• In future, at least 10 years’ notice will be given for changes to State Pension Age (Pensions Review 2014)

Some of us have been “hit” for a SECOND time – when in 2011 further increases to our state pension age were brought in faster than the Coalition had promised – again with little or no notice to re-plan for our retirement.

Women of a similar age have to wait disproportionately longer for their pension - a ONE year difference in birthday can make an almost THREE year difference to state pension age

What are WASPI trying to achieve?

We are doing everything we can to achieve a just outcome for ourselves and other women like us. We are hoping to be able to use the law to protect our rights and achieve fairness and equality.

What issues are WASPI raising and why?

We believe that the Government has a duty of care to its electorate and that it is reasonable to expect to be personally notified and given sufficient notice about matters which have such far-reaching consequences to people’s lives.

So morally we know we have a strong case, but we’re not sure whether we have a legal case. The odds are stacked against us!

Folks you can find them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WASPI-Women-Against-State-Pension-Inequality-Campaign-877054125688402/