Pension age hope for 3.8m women

High Court victory joy

NEARLY four million women have been given hope that hated rises in their pension age could be blocked.

Campaigners sang and danced outside the High Court yesterday when a judge granted permission for a full judicial review of the bitterly contested measure.

Their lawyer Michael Mansfield QC also joined in the celebrations.

Women born in the 1950s are having their state pension age raised to make it 66 by 2020, the same as for men.

But activists say the change came without enough notice, warning letters didn’t arrive and they have been “robbed” of happy retirements.

The action was brought by the Back to 60 campaign. Its director Joanne Welch said: “It’s an atrocity. What the Government has done to 1950s women is wholly discriminatory.”

The case is being brought on behalf of three women born in the 1950s whose pension age rose by up to six years.

They say the decision was made on the grounds of their age and sex, and they were not properly informed of the changes in time to adjust. Mr Mansfield told the hearing that the changes affected “a minimum of 3.8 million women”, some of whom were given as little as 18 months’ notice.

He said those affected had been left in a “powerless” position, adding: “Suddenly they have to re-train, have to find a new job.” He suggested the Government had “made it clear the real object has been cost-cutting”, not “policy principle”.

Judge Mrs Justice Lang concluded that their case was “arguable” and could proceed to a full hearing. Catherine Rayner, also representing the claimants, said the changes meant that “£5.3billion (has been) saved from women”.

She added: “Women have been put into poverty, forced on to benefits as a result of losing out on the pension which they would have relied upon.”

Julian Milford, for the Department of Work and Pensions, said the changes were designed to bring about “equalisation between genders”.

CELEBRATION Protesters outside court after review was given go-ahead