MP Bill Esterson has reiterated his support for the “Waspi” campaign by signing an Early Day Motion (EDM) calling for compensation for women who have lost out as a result of the rise in the state pension age.
The Sefton Central MP and Shadow Business Minister said hundreds of his constituents were struggling due to the increase in women’s state pension age from 60 to over 65. He said he fully supported the aims of “Waspi” (Women Against State Pension Inequality).
Some women born in the 1950s will have to wait six years longer than they anticipated to receive their state pension. Many have caring responsibilities meaning they cannot continue to work.
While Mr Esterson said he agreed with the principle of equalising the state pension age between men and women, he said the current changes had been brought in too quickly and did not take account of the difficulties many of the women faced accessing pension schemes earlier in their working lives.
The EDM states: “That this House welcomes the positive interventions from many honourable Members from across the House on behalf of women born in the 1950s who have lost their pensions; welcomes the equalisation of retirement ages between women and men; recalls that women born in the 1950s were subject to discriminatory employment and pension laws; recognises that this included being excluded from some pensions schemes; recognises that this had the negative effect for them of losing the opportunity to have the same level of pension as their partner or spouse; further recognises that this has had the consequence of women in this position never being able to have equal pensions to men; further notes that this has negatively and profoundly impacted on them including increased poverty, deteriorating health and homelessness; notes that at least 3.8 million women have been impacted by the loss of their pensions from the age of 60 in three separate age hikes; and calls on the Government to enact a temporary special measure as permitted by international law to provide restitution to women born in the 1950s who have lost their pensions from the age of 60 because of the impact of the rise in retirement age.”
Mr Esterson added: “The Waspi women have been treated terribly, many of them having to wait six extra years for their state pensions and only getting a few years’ notice of the change. I support extra payments for those women who are suffering as a result of this change, often unable to work due to other responsibilities. The Government needs to step in to ensure no woman is left in poverty due to these changes. Women born in the 1950s did not have equal access to work pension schemes as men did, therefore they are already at a disadvantage to men financially, without also having to wait until 65 or 66 for their state pensions.”
Labour’s 2017 manifesto promised to compensate 1950s born women who had been affected by the change. It read: “Over 2.5 million women born in the 1950s have had their state pension age changed without fair notification. These women deserve both recognition for the injustice they have suffered and some kind of compensation for their losses. Alongside our commitment to extend Pension Credit to hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable women, Labour is exploring options for further transitional protections, to ensure that all these women have security and dignity in older age. This must never happen again. Labour will legislate so that accrued rights to the basic state pension cannot be changed.”
Earlier this year, shadow pensions minister Jack Dromey called for free bus travel for the women affected.
The state pension age is currently rising from 65 to 66 for both men and women and is due to rise from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028.
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