Campaigners gather in London for result of judicial hearing

WOMEN from all over the county have been gathering in London since Wednesday to hear if they will be compensated for losing their state pensions.

A two-day judicial hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice, which ends today, June 6, will decide whether 1950s born women were sufficiently notified of the changes to their pensions.

A contingent of Gloucestershire’s WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) are in the capital to support the Backto60 movement that has been campaigning on behalf of the 3.8 million women affected.

The women who have had their entitlement age increased by up to seven years have accused the Government of ‘daylight robbery’ with each being short-changed by more than £40,000.

All the allocated public seating at the court in the Strand have been booked by the campaigners and those unable to get inside will silently demonstrate outside.

There will also be a rally held in Parliament Square by the WASPI women to show support for the campaign.

The dress code for those attending is all black with white masks to represent how the women are feeling - faceless, voiceless and invisible.

“It’s now or never, we are obviously hoping the hearing finds in our favour and it will be up to the judge to rule that we are entitled to some compensation,” said Mary Saunders, a member of Cirencester WASPI.

“The Backto60 group has campaigned tirelessly for this hearing we are there to support the cause, although ironically, many women who would like to be there can’t because despite being of retirement age they are having to work.”