Dear Sir,
Another Tory government brings continuing hardship for women born in the 1950s, who suffer financially because the Government will not recompense them for the increases made unfairly to the state pension age. Women are having their pensions delayed by up to 6 years longer than planned for. In the meantime, many suffer from age discrimination when applying for jobs, have to sell their homes, or rely on others, with consequences on family life which this brings. Had the changes been implemented with proper notification and with a timetable which allowed women to plan for the changes, things would have been different.
The WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaigns continue. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has agreed to review six sample cases of complaint about the way the changes were introduced, while an appeal by the “Back to 60 Campaign” group is to be heard this month.
Sedgefield Labour Women will be supporting the WASPI 2018 Durham Branch “Walk in my Shoes” march in Durham on 29th February, which will draw attention to the number of women who have died before they were able to take their pension under these new rules. We have a new crop of MPs in the region, and WASPI 2018 Durham Branch have also invited the new MPs to one of their meetings.
In the meantime, we would encourage women who are affected by the pension age increases to write to them to let them know how the changes are being felt by women and families. The WASPI website has a helpful sample letter which can be used and adapted to each person’s circumstances. Please don’t forget to include your name and full address, to make sure you get a reply.
Sedgefield Labour Women.
