It was good to see coverage of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) fight for justice being reported on by the media. National television and newspapers have all reported on the parliamentary health service ombudsman’s (PHSO) findings in the last week.
It has been hard to get the media interested in our campaign so that in itself felt like a cause for celebration. That along with the ombudsman’s finding that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were guilty of maladministration in that they did not inform 1950s-born women of the rise in the state pension age in a timely way – denying them the chance to prepare by working longer or to save for their retirement.
Proposed compensation falls short
What is concerning though is the amount of money being suggested; between one and three thousand pounds is quite frankly an insult. 50s-born women have lost out on thousands of pounds with the loss of their state pension. These women have been robbed. It was done ostensibly in the name of equality between men and women but it was more about saving money. Former chancellor, George Osborne, speaking alongside the IMF’s managing director Christine Lagarde and the finance ministers of Germany and Canada in 2013, appeared to boast about the enormous amount of money he saved by taking our pensions.
I really do not think some of our politicians understand how much some need the state pension. For some it is not money to buy extras but money needed for basic essentials, it’s needed to buy food and pay for heating, which some WASPI women have had to cut right back on.
A question of fairness
The government effectively took the pensions of the 1950s-born women and expected them to work longer or do without the things they had planned for in retirement. Many of these women started work aged 15; they left school on the Friday and began working in the factories, shops, and warehouses around them on the Monday. Many continued to work in part-time employment as they brought their children up. These women have already paid their dues to society. Making them work longer and continue to pay more contributions is a grave injustice.
Some are well and able and even want to continue to work but many have health problems and have and are struggling to work the extra years. They struggle but are often in a position where financially they cannot afford to retire without their state pension.
We have one lady in our group Castleford / Yorkshire WASPI, who despite being affected by a head injury that she suffered during her work, had to continue working until she received her state pension quite simply because she was the breadwinner as her husband’s health was so bad. She heard of the change to state pension age on the radio and found a job in a supermarket so that she could manage and spent her evenings and days off resting ready to be able to return to work. This, when she should have been enjoying her retirement years. Despite working for 42 years she still does not receive the full state pension.
WASPI women: arbitrary injustice
The way that the increase was introduced was all wrong with women born in 1953 being the worst hit. A timetable was devised which meant the increase was in stages, for example I was born in early February 1954 and became entitled to my state pension in May 2019 when I would have been 65. Someone born in October 1954 would have had to wait until the following year on their 66th birthday before being eligible for state pension. The 1953-born women were the hardest hit, with those born in early January 1953 being entitled to a state pension in September 2015, while those born in December 1953 had to wait until March 2019.
So this whole thing has been a farce from the start. It is not finished, WASPI women will not accept the measly amount that has been suggested and all women want compensation because we have all been robbed. Labour promised to put this injustice right at the last election but they are being noncommittal now. I am hoping that I am wrong but I would say that neither Labour or Conservative are going to put their hands up and say these women have been wronged and that they are the party that is going to correct the injustice.
The WASPI campaign will go on
It has been a long road for me starting early 2016 and many others have been walking as long, if not longer, but I and they will continue to campaign until we get satisfactory compensation. We have come this far and will not give up now.
WASPI is not going away.
