‘Fight goes on’ despite rejection of pension discrimination claim

● Women who have lost out call on parliament to act after legal bid fails

Women campaigners who have lost out on state pension funds because of increases in the retirement age say they will keep fighting for compensation after losing a key legal judgment.

Nearly four million women born in the 1950s have been affected by the changes by moves to equalise the state pension age between men and women, with the threshold rising from 60 to 66.

Campaigners Julie Delve, 61, and Karen Glynn, 63 – supported by campaign group Backto60 – argued at the High Court in London that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) unlawfully discriminated against them on the grounds of age and sex, and did not give adequate notice of the changes.

They called on Parliament to intervene after losing their challenge.

In their ruling, Lord Justice Irwin and Mrs Justice Whipple said there was no sex discrimination against women because previously, men had to work longer to receive the state pension.

They stated: “We are saddened by the stories we read in the evidence lodged by the claimants. But our role as judges in this case is limited… the wider issues raised by the claimants, about whether these choices were right or wrong or good or bad, are not for us; they are for members of the public and their elected representatives.”

Outsidecourt,joannewelch, from the Backto60 campaign, referred to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pledge during the Tory leadership campaign to look at the state pension age issue with “fresh vigour”, adding: “We will be holding you to that undertaking.”

As Ms Welch finished her statement, supporters chanted: “The fight goes on.”

Michael Mansfield QC, representing the women affected, said the changes had “pushed women who were already disadvantaged into the lowest class you can imagine”.

“They’re on the brink of survival, and I’m not overstating that,” he said. “This group – especially the percentage of the group affected born in 1953 onwards – are increasingly having taken away from them four to six years’ worth of state pension.

“We’re dealing with very serious sums: £37,000 to £47,000. I think any citizen would be concerned by that withdrawal.”

SNP MP Mhairi Black called on the government to order an assessment of the impact of changes to the state pension age.

Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine said she was “hugely disappointed”.

In a statement, a DWP spokesman welcomed the ruling and said: “It has always been our view that the changes we made to women’s state pension age were entirely lawful.”

“They’re on the brink of survival, and I’m not overstating that. They are increasingly having taken away from them four to six years’ worth of state pension ”

MICHAEL MANSFIELD

paris.gourtsoyannis@scotsman.com