Many women are facing state pension inequality

“You and all of us in this room really belong to the most vilified segments in American society right now. Think about it: Hollywood, foreigners and the press” I HAVE been contacted by members of WASPI - Women Against State Pension Inequality - protesting about the increased age at which women start receiving their state pension. I do have family members who have been effected by this but I have tried to give an objective view.

There is no doubt a need to equalise the age that women and men received their money. Changes were announced in the 1990s to do this gradually and there was warning given.

The last Labour government also announced the raising of State pension age between 2020 and 2026. Again this gave women and men, myself included, time to prepare.

The big problem has come with George Osborne accelerating the timetable, for women in particular, so that some women will lose as much as 18 months pension payments.

Under the old system this has meant a loss of about £9,000. Under the new system, while increasing the basic State payment, it has meant women have lost out approximately £13,000. Working is not an option for some in their 60s. Employers are reluctant to take on people in this age group. Many are carers for other family members as well. A lot of MPs, including Jason McCartney, have asked that those who have had this acceleration of pension age thrust upon them, with very little time to prepare, should have the option of choosing the lower State pension payment when it was due under the old system.

There is a meeting of the Huddersfield WASPI at Marsh Conservative Club on January 25 at 7pm, open to all people of different political persuasions, men and women, as this effects a lot of people .

Although I agree with the raising of the State pension age, I think it has been unfairly implemented. I thought long and hard about this and decided that I will show my support for WASPI by signing this letter as: