Islanders angry at changes to state pensions

Around 40 people in Shetland, mostly women born in the 1950s, have voiced their anger at state pension changes.

A public meeting was hosted at the Islesburgh Centre in Lerwick by Orkney and Shetland MP Alistair Carmichael.

He told the group that he was “optimistic” a legal challenge could see positive results, after the retirement age for women was raised from 60 to 66, in line with the male pension age.

The MP said that the outcome hinged on a judicial review in the High Court in London in May, launched by the BackTo60 group.

He told the meeting: “Pensions are not a gift, they are a deferred payment. If you are expected to make

“This has shattered everything we planned for”

alternative arrangements (to deal with the pension gap) then there is an obvious unfairness.”

Annette Shewan, 63, was one of several women who spoke passionately about the changes and claimed they represented a final kick in the teeth after facing a life of sexual discrimination at work.

She planned to retire at 60 while her husband Ian, who is five years older, continued to work for a few years after he reached pension age. He retired last year on health grounds.

Mrs Shewan said that she only learned about the changes to the retirement age through the council and has to continue work as a library van driver, with 6am starts some mornings.

She said, following the meeting: “From a personal point of view, this has completely wrecked our lives and shattered everything we planned for and hoped for.”