Over 5000 women in constituency affected by pension changes
Hamilton West has more women affected by changes to pensions than any other constituency in Scotland.
Figures released by the House of Commons Library showed the constituency to have 5110 women affected, a figure which was in the top 20 for the whole of the UK.
Neighbouring Lanark and Hamilton East is not far behind, with 4890 women hit by the changes.
Margaret Ferrier, the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West, backed people form her constituency who travelled to a Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament last week.
She said: “There was a really good contingent of women from across Scotland, including Rutherglen and Hamilton West, at the demonstration at Westminster this week. The SNP has given wholehearted backing to the WASPI campaign, and we will keep up the fight for these women at Westminster.
“My constituency is the worst affected in Scotland, and I will continue to fight for justice for each and every one of the women affected. I have recently joined the newly-formed All-party Group and will work constructively across party lines with all MPS who wish to right this massive injustice.
“Affected constituents can rest assured that my SNP colleagues and I will continue to press the UK Government for a rethink on how it phases in increases to the state pension age. A great many women have contacted me already but I encourage anyone who hasn’t got in touch yet, and is affected by this issue, to please do so.
“We want to get the best outcome for these women, many of whom have worked hard for decades without taking a penny out of the system. I hope we will soon have the equitable outcome that the WASPI women deserve.”
Those in attendance at the demonstration demanded the UK government investigates transitional measures for 1950s-born women who have been hit by the equalisation of the state pension age, a change which began in 1995 and was compounded in 2011. The increase in pension age is the second for women born in the 1950s.
WASPI are also encouraging women to write to their local MP. Their campaign works to lobby the Government to introduce transitional arrangements for those women affected, many of whom were not notified about the changes, and took early retirement, leaving them without any income.