Isle of Wight councillors will debate a motion calling for compensation for women affected by State Pension age increases at next Wednesday’s Full Council meeting. More than 3.8million women born in the 1950s across the UK were affected by the Government’s decision to increase the State Pension age from 60 to 65, and later 66. There are approximately 11,000 affected women on the Isle of Wight, making up some 8% of the population, according to Office for National Statistics data. Many of those affected were unaware of the proposed increase to their State Pension age, and missed vital opportunities to plan their retirements properly. Tens of thousands were plunged into poverty as a result. The motion calls upon the council leader to write to the Work and Pensions Secretary, demanding a ‘swift resolution’ to remedy the injustices caused in the form of ‘an immediate compensation package’. Local councillors previously backed a motion to support fair and fast compensation for WASPI women in 2016, making the Isle of Wight 1 of the first local authorities in the UK to declare their support. Councillor Michael Lilley, who has brought the motion forward in support of WASPI women, says:
“Women born in the 1950s across the island have had their retirement plans devastated due to a catalogue of errors in Department for Work and Pensions’ handling of State Pension age changes. “I’m proud to be supporting such tenacious campaigners at Wednesday’s Full Council as we continue to fight for fair and fast compensation for the injustices they face.”
Ahead of next week’s meeting, Isle of Wight women have spoken of the financial and emotional impacts on them. Some were forced to sell their homes and cars in order to meet rising food costs. Rachel, a 68-year-old WASPI woman living in Alverstone, has said:
“I left school aged 15 in July 1970 and started work the following week. I left work during 1977 to start a family and stayed at home to bring up three children. I claimed child benefit during this time, and I had a few part time jobs that worked around still being at home for the children. “When my youngest child started high school I changed jobs for a part time position and later a different full time job and I was offered a work pension for the first time. “The NHS workload was too much by 59 years of age and feeling exhausted I decided to leave the following year when I was 60 as I would be receiving my State Pension. It was only when a work colleague informed me that the pension age had changed to 66 that I was first aware of the change. “I had not received a letter informing me of the change so I went online and filled in a form on the Government website. When I received a reply it was the first time that I had anything in writing informing me about the changes, 6 years longer to wait than I thought. “I had already made retirement plans to help with my new Grandchild so that my Daughter could return to work, and also to help my parents as Dad was unwell and Mum was finding it hard to cope. “Dear Dad passed away and Mum was lonely and then developed dementia. Mum moved closer to family members and we all help to look after her up to this day. “The small NHS lump sum and work pension and some money that Dad left me helped for the first 3 years after I retired, and then I had to rely on my NHS pension and share my husband’s pension, until I received my state pension 9 weeks after my 66th birthday. “I am very lucky compared to many of the 1950s women as I still have a husband who can support me, but I am still very angry that I was not informed about the changes many years earlier with a personal letter. I am a member of the WASPI group and proud to be part of a group of women fighting for what we rightly deserve. “I realise that the pension change had to come in line with the men’s pension, but it was the lack of communication which gave none of us time to consider and arrange our retirement plans”.
Do the right thing and vote for this government wrong doing
No comment
Many men and women in same boat as pension age increased year on year, I’m 60 but won’t be able to retire until past,67. These age changes have been comunicated widely on TV, media and by our employer’s etc, no reason not to know.
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Exactly freddie – the changes to womens state pension age was contained in the 1995 pensions act -and this was widely publicised at the time. All these women had 23 years, yes 23 years to plan for retiring at the same age as men.
women have stamped their feet and demanded equality with men for decades – well, this is equality in action – women get their pension at the same age as men now – all fair and square.
I note that these women don’t seem to be bothered that men have been discriminated against for decades by being made to wait five more years than women for state pension payments.
they should give it a rest.
Men also missed out and owed at least £11,000 for the year it jumped for them. I wasn’t informed only about 2 years before I reached 60, women at work was talking about it, I’ve worked 54 years, 35 years to be able to claim full pension, So where is the 23 years monies gone Too.Stolen by the Government And I like all the other women and men want it back, Waspi women want justice for all ,
Maybe it’s that the government can make these rules to rob 6 years of pension money at one swoop I had not heard of the increase 2016 Teresa May
Said no one will have more than 18 months added well
That’s a bit fairer but 6 years
With no letter to inform those
And have to find out off word of mouth
These woman have worked through with men getting more money and they had no chance of saving for pensions because of low wages they are not against the pension equal with men it’s the way the government has treated them
Like where can the government
Save money oh just add 6 years on this bunch of women
Wake up and see what the
Government do with our money they take off us from our wages
Women are not in disagreement of men but opening your eyes to the way the government treat people .women have worked for lower pay and not offered a pension scheme .
Wrong. Most wo.en not informed. Get your head out.
We was told we would get my pension 16sept 2016 …I’ve got ill health spo thought a few more yrs to retire I was 60 in August 2016 .but in Dec that Yr I went to social to see why I not received my pension oh I’m sorry u got to wait another 6 yrs but I showed them the letter to day Sept 2016 not a nother 6 yrs later
Please do some research and learn that state pension ages for men and women have been equalised. Equalisation and equality are not the same thing. When the state pension age was set for women initially, it was recognised that women should retire at 60 as men traditionally married women a few years younger than themselves therefore retirement plans could be made for a couple to retire at roughly the same time. Even then, a married woman could not claim her state pension until her husband reached 65.
8 years ago the plan to increase the retirement age by a whopping 6 years in one hit was expedited under the cover of Brexit. Many women did not receive letters, a fact which was upheld by the ombudsman.The consequences of that have since come to pass. Younger women forced out of the workplace because they can’t afford childcare and Mum is still in full time work. And social care for the elderly, for the same reasons. They were warned, but didn’t listen. The resulting expenditure is far higher than if they’d just kept the state retirement age for women or only increased it by a couple of years. Sheer greed for a short term fix.
They did not receive a letter, not unusual, do they all live in a cave without television, radio, computers, it was not exactly a state secret, if you want equality then equality it shal be, stop moaning and plan things better.
Cry me a river – how come is it then, that I was fully aware of this back in 1995 and again in 2011 through TV and news coverage, however, I was in my 20’s in the 1990’s and not even affected by any of it.
You have heard about the changes now mainly due to the plight of the WASPI women who were NOT informed.
Sorry but you are wrong I knew nothing until I went on website to claim my pension at no point was I notified and it wasn’t made public on a large scale
The changes to state pension age in 1993 were not communicated at the time as the then Chancellor considered it might ‘upset’ the women affected. It was not on TV nor advised by letter. There were a few small articles on the back pages of the financial Times. Not my normal read.
I worked for the DWP and thier ‘Prepare for retirement’ booklet was still quoting the retirement age for women as 60 in 2014.
So how were we supposed to know?
We all know now that everyone gets the SP at 67, but only because of this scandal.
The Ombudsman found the DWP guilty of maladministration regarding the failure to communicate.
The age change was NOT communicated widely. A short report appeared in a very select few newspapers, not at all the usual reading material for most working women. We received NO personal letter informing us of the change. This has been upheld by the Ombudsman! Many women nearing 60 were made redundant by employers as they would have been retiring soon anyway And some women, expecting their pension soon, gave up their jobs to care for elderly parents and grandchildren so their children could go back to work. Now with no income, many are forced to live in poverty as finding a job at 60+ is pretty impossible anyway, ot take non-jobs, zero hours contracts etc. And who now should care for vulnerable elderly?
Countless studies have shown that throughout the course of a relationship, despite working full time, women shouldered most of the housework and child rearing, while men still expected to be at their leisure after work. Women have always been, on average, in less well paid employment, making it harder to save anything from they income. It is a fact that far more men than women have a company person. Until relatively recently, most women, especially in part time work were denied access to company pension schemes, and therefore have no other income at retirement, relying solely on the state pension. Yes men have had to work till 65, but the majority of 1950s women have never had equality throughout their lives, why should we accept this now?
Wrong. Most women were NOT informed as accepted by the independent sources.
Everyone was informed. Everyone with ears and eyes knew. This is a load of BS.
No your talking a load of bs I wasn’t informed at all it was my work place that informed me that I wasn’t getting to retire. in the six months I had told I was 60 I never received any information or letters
Originally it was not highly publicised, I for one worked 12 hour days and even if someone has got home again like me it’s about getting dinner etc. Consequently without a physical call to action as in a letter not surprising at all. Even today if you research DWP male female pensions females have still not caught up despite equal pay act 1970same year I started work. Husband is 18 months younger and I didn’t understand why he got a higher pension. Both worked full time for 50 years same amount of NI contributions.
The argument is lack of notice for 6 years not 6 months not disagreeing about bringing in line. But hey it just meant trying to look after parents with Alzheimer’s over 2 hours away while working and well into my 60s.
Hello all,
My wife had to wait the extra 6 years, and on my parents graves, neither of us were aware or received any information on the governments plans. It has been difficult to say the least. I’m submitting my pension application a week tomorrow, (20/11/23) and should start to receive it next March. I have been a very fit man as I haven’t consumed alcohol for 22 years and never smoked. In fact I taught Tae kwon-Do up to my 60th birthday! For me, I found this past year to be when physically I would have struggled to work. I feel for those that will have to wait even longer for their state pensions, or most likely, won’t get one at all! A compensation package for the gross injustice done to 50’s born women, is the least they could do.
Please can you organise an online petition for this and I will sign it straight away. I am 70 and still have to work as I had not anticipated this was going to happen, and it is really hard to keep going. Tory governments are only for the very rich, so please younger ones, bear that in mind when you think they will help you . Stealing money from the poor is immoral and by now you must realise that morality has no place in their thinking or actions.
of course you will as you think you may be able to cash in and get money – leeches.
These changes were publicised in news and tv campaigns in the 1990’s and again in 2011, as well as other letter dropping.
funny how so many are aware, yet you, suddenly claim ignorance, to further your leeching claim for money.
Omg ,don’t hold your breath !!!!!
If it’s down 2 our council it will take forever !!!!!
Will book my click and collect funeral package …..mmm..
Think that’s what they all want ,,,,,,.
But oh boy I will haunt them ….
Definitely agree ..there bidding there time ..longer it takes them,more of us will die ..SAVE MORE MONEY ..lost faith in our government all in it 4 themselves …. greed n corruption…
It’s about time that kids left school at 14 or 15 , start work and let the older people retire earlier to enjoy the golden years
Generations of men who die younger than women have worked longer hours in more dangerous jobs and have always worked longer hours and have retired later. Maybe that should be addressed?
Phil I worked 12 hour shifts at a dentention center and let me tell you this it’s hard graft not a easy job some women work as hard if not harder than men and still have to run a home and bring up a family
I was suppose to retire next year (looking forward to it) but suddenly found out I had another year to go. So unfair, if my husband hadn’t have told me that the age had gone up I would have been out of work with nothing
My wife sadly passed away a month ago having suffered from motor neurones desease for the last couple of years. She was 67 in April so thanks to the change in state pension age she never got to have any quality time with me or effectively have a retirement. Its not only the financial aspect that upset us but the chance of having those 5 lost years of happiness taken from us.
I hope the people like myself that have lost their loved ones will be allowed to claim compensation as well as the very deserving Waspi Women should they be successful.
Not only have I lost my wife buy I am not entitled to anu of her state pension that she worked so hatd for.
I am so sorry to read your story.
Sincere condolences for your loss.
It is too easy to forget that the loss of state pension for women also greatly affected their husbands and families.
It’s interesting that nobody whingeing about this has taken on the argument that it represents equality.
Equality is fine, but only when it suits me, seems to be the attitude.
With everyone living longer (and women living longer than men), it was inevitable that an adjustment would have to be made. It is a problem faced by countries throughout the western world and ALL are taking similar measures.
Anyone who reads a newspaper and made it their business to know what is going on in the world around them knew about this.
What’s it got to do with the Council anyway? More gesture politics and virtue signalling.
The argument isn’t about equality, as you would know if you had followed this campaign. The campaigners agree with State Pension age equalisation. It’s about the lack of notice, vital for a generation of women who never had equal pay/pension opportunities with men. And the Ombudsman has already found Maladministration by the DWP.
it was communicated in 1995 and again in 2011 – you have had 23 years at least to make plans – you will get no compensation, that you can be assured of.
this is a token gesture by the council – it will fail at the first hurdle, when the government writes back and say “no”
then what – we the islands workers and taxpayers won’t be willing to let our taxes pay for some BS court case. So, it is a complete non starter.
I was going to give you my own answer, but Hamad (see below) has saved me the trouble.
Good to see the council wasting more time and money on another pointless endeavour. The support of the council means nothing. This change was very widely publicised years ago and I find it hard to believe that it took some people by “surprise”. There will be no compensation for these people who lived in a bubble. Why should the rest of us pay out to compensate people for their own ignorance?
You reap what you have sown, you wanted equality, now you have it you don’t want it, Mmm.