Falkirk councillors have unanimously backed a call for “fair and fast compensation” for women whose pension age was changed with little warning.
SNP councillor Lorna Binnie won the support of colleagues in all political parties as she highlighted the devastating financial problems caused by a lack of communication when the age at which women can get their state pension was changed.
Her motion to Falkirk Council today (Wednesday) made clear that it was not the actual change in women’s retirement age – rising from 60 to 66 to be the same as men – that was the problem.
But the lack of communication meant the women affected had little time to prepare and many were plunged into financial hardship as their retirement plans were destroyed.
Cllr Binnie is a long-standing member of WASPI (Women Against State Pension Injustice) and she told council that many women had suffered as a result of the changes – some being given just one year’s notice that their pension would not be paid for another six years.
The impact was particularly hard for women who were divorced or widowed. “It’s been really sad – a lot of women have really suffered,” said Cllr Binnie. “I’m lucky, I still have my health, but a lot of women can’t work and it’s been really difficult for them.”
Recently, the campaign scored a significant victory as an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found there had been “maladministration” in the way the DWP had communicated the changes.
That judgement was backed by an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) which is calling on the watchdog to request “the highest compensation level available in making its recommendations”.
Campaigners, including Cllr Binnie, know they have come a long way since they first had to carefully explain why the changes were impacting on women so badly.
“Women of our generation, born in the 1950’s, often did not work full-time because they were caring for older relatives or bringing up a family,” she said. “Most men have full occupational pensions but most women born in the 1950’s don’t.”
Now, after rallies, debates, petitions and years of campaigning, it seems that their voices are finally being heard. But there is still no sign of compensation and Cllr Binnie believes it’s now time to see some action from the government.
The passing of the motion means that Falkirk Council’s chief executive, Kenneth Lawrie, will write to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP to urge the UK Government to take “swift action” to compensate the women and the beneficiaries of those who have died.
Cllr Binnie believes motions such as the one she is putting forward in Falkirk will help to keep the pressure on the government to accept the findings of the report.
In the meantime, she says, WASPI will continue to campaign including in Falkirk where they have an active Facebook page.
She paid tribute to the work of co-ordinator Anne Campbell to keep the group running, as it has brought many women together to find support,
Her call for fair and fast compensation was agreed unanimously by all councillors, many of whom paid tribute to Cllr Binnie’s ongoing work to get justice for the women affected.
