Raised state pension age leaves women ‘destitute’ – campaigners
WOMEN are being left destitute and forced to sell or remortgage their homes in order to survive due to changes in the state pension age.
That is the claim of a campaign group fighting for the rights of women in their 60s who have had their state pension age (SPA) unexpectedly pushed back by years due to Government legislation.
Jocelyn Morgan and Chris Griffiths – both 63 and themselves affected by the changes – said that as members of the Bridgend and valleys branch of UK campaign group Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality), they have heard from women who are now struggling to pay their electricity bills.
But the pair – who took their branch to London when Waspi groups from across the UK marched on the Houses of Parliament – believe there are many more women in financial turmoil across Bridgend and the valleys who are too scared to come forward.
“Some people are destitute and Waspi nationally has even reported suicides,” said Jocelyn.
The problems have arisen due to legislation stemming from 1995 which aimed to change the age at which women can claim their state pension from 60 to 65, to equalise it with the SPA for men.
And then in 2011, the coalition government accelerated the changes.
But Waspi has long stated that the women who were born in the 1950s and are affected were either not informed or informed late about the changes, meaning they have had little or no time to prepare.
Jocelyn said it means women who were banking on getting their state pension at 60 might not see it for years and have been left with a financial shortfall.
As a full-time ward sister throughout her working life, grandmother Jocelyn, from Barnes Avenue in Cefn Glas, was forced to retire at 50 as she was suffering from cancer and chronic arthritis.
She had her NHS pension, but things started to go wrong financially when her husband David died six years later.
Then four years later, she was told she would not receive her state pension at 60 as she had expected all her working life.
“It left me struggling and robbing Peter to pay Paul,” she said.
She established the local branch of Waspi in re- sponse and, although she has now received her state pension aged 63, she has vowed to fight on.
The group’s next big event is a march on the Senedd in September. They are also considering starring in a naked calendar to raise funds for their fight.
“We kept to our part of the (pension) contract with the Government. We entered into it in good faith and as far as I am concerned the Government has breached that contract,” said Jocelyn.
The group, which is being supported by Bridgend MP Madeleine Moon and Ogmore MP Chris Elmore, said they know of people who have had to sell or remortgage their houses to survive, spend their savings or claim job seekers’ allowance.
For her part, Jocelyn wants to know what has happened to the three years of state pension, a total of £25,500, which she believes she should have been paid from age 60 and is entitled to having paid contributions all her life.
Chris Griffiths said she has had to push back retirement a few times and now, aged 63, still has to work part-time to make ends meet.
Sally Hyde, 60, from Sarn, believes it is wrong that having worked all her life and paying in the maximum contribution towards the state pension, she has been told she cannot receive her pension until December 2, 2021, when she will be 66.
Waspi has called on the Government to start making reduced pension payments to those whose SPA has been increased.
But, despite the pressure being exerted by the group and its many highprofile backers, including firebrand MPs Dennis Skinner and Mhairi Black, the Government is standing firm.
A spokesman for the Department of Work and Pensions said: “The equalisation of the state pension age was announced over 20 years ago and rights a longstanding inequality.
“Women retiring today can still expect to receive a higher state pension over their lifetime than any cohort of women before them and 10% more state pension than men of their age because they will, on average, live longer.”
To contact the local branch of Waspi call Jocelyn on 07739 005441 or Chris on 07519 099404.