WASPI vows to keep fighting for fair pension
MARC MCLEAN & EDEL KENEALY
Thousands of women battling the UK Government to prevent delays in receiving their state pension have been hit with a setback.
The Reformer recently told how more than 5000 women from across the Rutherglen area born in the 1950s faced a wait of up to seven years to receive their pension.
The campaign group, Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI), had urged affected women to file claims against the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) with the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO).
They were seeking transitional payments to support women moving to the higher pension age.
But the PHSO has now refused to accept any more cases.
It made the decision after the High Court ruled earlier this month that the DWP had not discriminated against the
WASPI women when it made changes to the state pension age.
WASPI campaigners have since lodged an application to appeal that judgement.
Burnside woman Anne Potter, founder of the local WASPI branch, said: “The ombudsman option is no longer available for the time being.
“The ombudsman does not want us to submit any other cases until they have reviewed the recent judgement by the High Court.
“But I have been assured that, if the ombudsman decided to award compensation, then it would be open to all the women affected.
“That means over 5000 women in Rutherglen and 3.8 million women across the UK would be entitled.”
Despite the campaign setback, Anne is still urging local women whose pension is affected to contact MP Ged Killen to make him aware of their personal situation.
As the area’s UK Government representative, Mr Killen has been working closely with the Lanarkshire WASPI branch and supporting local women affected.
In the Rutherglen area 5110 women born in the 1950s have been directly affected and some will lose out on tens of thousands of pounds.
The UK Government announced in 2011 that it would increase the pension age for women from 60 to 65 in 2018 – several years earlier than previously planned.
The WASPI women argued they were not given enough notice of the change to allow them to make financial arrangements and told the High Court that the UK Government’s decision discriminated against them on the grounds of age and sex.
Campaign groups WASPI and Backto60 had argued that the government changes were implemented unfairly, and called for compensation for those affected.
The court dismissed their claims, but two campaign groups have said their fight is not over.
Last Wednesday the groups lodged an application for permission to appeal the High Court decision.