End injustice for the Waspi women
THE Waspi (Women Against State Pension Injustice) campaign is something I’ve been involved in since 2015, and I really can’t believe I’m still having to bang on about it.
The fact these women are still having to fight for the justice they deserve is an absolute disgrace.
The Waspi women are those born in the 1950s, who have been unfairly affected by Tory changes to the state pension age.
Now, I’m all for the equalisation of the state pension age but the problem here is that these women were not told that the age at which they could retire had been changed. Not a letter was sent nor a phone call made.
This meant millions of women were unable to plan for their retirements, and many have fallen into really difficult personal and financial circumstances as a result, including not knowing what they’ll do for a job or an income.
This is an issue of fairness and equality – and the SNP have long been campaigning for justice. The Scottish Government don’t have the power to top-up pensions but the UK Government does.
Pensions are not a benefit, they are a right, and it’s about time the Tory Government stepped up and gave these women what they are entitled to.
As my colleague Ian Blackford MP said at Prime Minister’s Questions this week – Theresa May can shake the money tree when it helps her cling on to power but when it comes to doing her job, and helping ordinary people, she completely falls flat.