Pension Age Changes need a Fairer Transition- Lib Dems bring WASPI debate to County Hall

The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion in support of the WASPI women that will be debated at Wednesday's meeting of Leicestershire County Council. They hope the motion will get cross party support.

The Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign has focused on the raising of the state pension age for women and how the lack of communication and forewarning of the changes has put a number of women into financial difficulty.

Up until May 2010, women were able to draw their state pension once they reached 60. However, since 2010, the retirement age has steadily increased so that by 2018 it will be 65, equal with men. By 2020, the retirement age for both men and women will have risen to 66.

The WASPI campaign states that they agree with equalising the pension age, but they feel that the transition has been too fast and that the government hasn't communicated these changes well enough, meaning that some women haven't realised that the pension age has changed until less than a year until they reach it. As a result, they haven't been able to plan ahead financially.

The Government itself has admitted that its communication has been poor.

The WASPI campaign claims that this lack of communication has caused many women to fall into hardship, and is calling for the Government to introduce a fairer transition on the changes.

Cllr Linda Broadley said: "The Government have handled this atrociously. People plan their retirement years in advance."

"If they haven't been made aware that the pension age has changed then how could they have possibly planned for it?"

"The Government needs to take responsibility for the harm they've caused and introduce a fairer transition for women who have been caught out by these changes."

Cllr Michael Mullaney said: "The WASPI women have run a magnificent campaign. Hundreds of thousands of people have signed their petition and 137 other Councils have passed a motion stating their support."

"I'm now hoping that our colleagues in the County will work with us so we can add our Council's voice to the campaign."