‘Women are denied rights on pensions’
WOMEN born in the 1950s are being denied pensions justice, east Runcorn MP Mike Amesbury has said as he vowed to continue to support their cause.
Mr Amesbury, Labour MP for Weaver vale, said speeding up the increase in the women’s state pension age was inflicting ‘real hardship’.
His comments came as he met members of the Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) campaign in Parliament.
Mr Amesbury is a longterm backer of the campaign and he spoke to cofounder Anne Keen in the House Of Commons.
A spokesman for Mr Amesbury’s office said that more than 4,000 women in Weaver Vale who were born in the 1950s have had changes enforced on their pension entitlements and access, with little or no notice, and no time to make alternative plans.
The WASPI campaign has accused the Government of giving as little as one-year’s notice for a sixyear increase in the age at which they can claim their state pension, while giving men six years’ notice for a one-year increase.
It has also alleged that some women have never received a letter or that letters were sent to the wrong address.
Although the WASPI campaign agrees with increasing the women’s state pension age from 60 to 65 so it is the same as men, it has slammed the way the change has been implemented.
Mr Amesbury said: “The decision to accelerate the rise in the women’s state pension age has had a devastating impact on many women who were born in the 1950s, some of whom are now facing real hardship as a result.
“This is something that’s caused considerable hardship and worry to many women in my constituency.
“Labour offered a solution in the last general election and it saddens and frustrated me that we can’t implement that, as I see no real appetite or plan with this Government to address it.
“I’m determined to keep fighting for pensions justice for 50s women and will continue to raise their case with the government wherever and whenever I can.”
Labour had made a pledge to compensate more than three million women who lost out on years of state pension payments when their retirement age was raised had it won the last General Election.
Anne Keen said: “We were delighted to see Mr Amesbury at our event.
“He clearly understands the plight of women born in the 1950s who were denied several years of the state pensions they paid into all their working lives.
“We hope that Parliament will now address the issue as a matter of urgency.
“Many 1950s women are suffering.”