O’Hara supports Argyll women’s stance on pensions

‘Pensions are not a privilege, they are a contract’

MORE than 4,000 women from across Argyll and Bute had their discontent at the UK government’s pension changes heard in Westminster.

Last week, Argyll MP Brendan O’Hara presented a petition to the House of Commons on behalf of 4,600 women across the region who have been hit by the government’s changes to the state pension age.

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) group represent women born on or after April 6 1951 who, under the 1995 and 2011 Pensions Act, will not be able to draw their pension until they are 66 years of age, six years later than many had planned.

Legal challenge

They argue many women were given little or no notice of these changes. They are now preparing a legal challenge, to be taken up by leading London law firm Bindmans.

After presenting the petition, Mr O’Hara said: ‘The situation that these women find themselves in, through no fault of their own, is scandalous. They have been hit twice, first when the state pension age was raised to 65 in line with men and then again when it was increased for men and women to 66 years.

‘It is utterly shameful that the UK government has ducked its responsibility to the WASPI women. Pensions are not a privilege but a contract and the UK government has broken that contract.’

Karen Murphy, 59, who lives in Carradale, is a member of WASPI and is part of an informal group of supporters across Argyll and Bute.

She was due to take her state pension next February, but as a result of the government’s pension change she will now have to wait until she is 66.

She said: ‘Women in my position are expected to lose anywhere between £25,000 to £45,000 from their state pension.

‘While some are lucky enough to have a big occupational pension, many do not and were relying on their state pension coming through at 60. Some state pensions are also linked to their occupational pension, causing even more problems.’

Karen revealed she was hoping to help pay towards her child’s deposit for a first house, but is now having to use her savings to counteract the money she is set to lose.

She added: ‘WASPI has now launched a legal challenge to the government, after all our members submitted individual complaints to the Department for Work and Pensions, to which the general reply was “tough”.

‘It’s not just women who are affected. It is impacting men as well, who planned their retirement with their partners but now find they are both losing money as a couple.’

Karen highlighted WASPI is not against equalising the state pension age, but wants the government to introduce reasonable transitional arrangements to give them enough time to plan for their retirement.

Mr O’Hara added: ‘I call on the government to introduce measures that will mitigate the hardship that many of these women are now facing.’