WASPI data revealed that a third of women affected by the changes are in debt, with up to 80% claiming the delay in learning the retirement age had changed caused their financial difficulty.
For 3,8 million 1950s-born women, retirement at age 60 was the norm.
They were shocked to discover that they would have to wait an additional six years to receive their state pension.
Six years of additional work that none of them, including Moira Holland, had anticipated.
Ms. Holland had devoted 35 years of her working life to the care industry. After 35 years of arduous and exhausting labor, she was ready to retire at age 60 and was counting down the days until she could enjoy her retirement.
Work had also taken a toll on her emotional and physical health, but knowing she would be retiring in a year helped her get through the difficult days.
The sad news arrived in the form of a letter a year before she was scheduled to retire, informing her that she would have to work for six more years and retire at 66 instead.
Ms. Holland tells, “It was utterly and completely awful.” “At age 60, we anticipated receiving our pension.
“Therefore, I was all ready to retire, have a wonderful life, receive my pension, and be able to manage well, but to receive the letter saying no – ‘you’ve got to work six more years until you’re 66’ – was bad, utterly dreadful.”
Ms. Holland claims that the immediacy of the news has affected her health.
She explains, “I had mental health issues and arthritis, and I was physically and psychologically unable to work.” “I was battling mental health issues and arthritis, and I was unable to work.”
Also, many of my acquaintances who died at age 60 never received their pension. In addition to my health concerns, I wonder if I will ever receive my pension. Will I live to the age of 66? Nobody knows. Therefore, it was extremely, extremely heartbreaking.”
Why was the retirement age altered?
In a move lauded for advancing gender equality, the state pension age was matched to that of men.
Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) has long contended that women were not given adequate notice of the change, leaving millions without adequate time to prepare or make alternative financial arrangements.
What has been the effect?
WASPI revealed exclusive data indicating that a third of women affected by the changes are in debt, with up to 80% claiming that the delay in learning that the retirement age had altered caused them financial difficulty.
Without answers, 220,190 affected women have perished to date.
Angela Madden, the campaign leader of the nonprofit organization, accused the government of not meeting with members since 2016.
She tells that the administration has never genuinely connected with them. Guy Opperman was the last pensions minister to meet with the WASPI campaign in 2016, which is just abhorrent considering how much we’ve lost due to government stupidity.
“The government is responsible for modifying the state pension age if necessary.
There were likely valid grounds for their actions, but the fact that they did not give us any warning so that we could take action is reprehensible and they should be embarrassed by themselves.
“I was not given the chance”
The Parliamentary Ombudsman determined a year ago that the ladies should have been given at least 28 months more warning.
It was stated that the Department of Work and Pensions should have written individual letters to each woman affected.
Ms. Madden was also personally impacted by the mismanagement.
“Some women, including myself, chose to stop working before we learned about the increase in the state pension age because our parents or family members required care,” she explains.
“I chose to leave my full-time work to spend time with my mother during her dying days.
“Had I been forewarned sooner, I would have likely combined care for my mother with part-time employment. I was not given the option to make that selection.
If the government had done what it should have done and informed us as soon as it learned that the legislation was changing, we would have been able to make the appropriate judgments.
What have government officials said?
A representative for the Department of Work and Pensions told, “We serve millions of people annually, and our first goal is to ensure they receive the assistance and support to which they are entitled.
To promote gender equality, the government decided over 25 years ago to set the state pension age the same for men and women.
“Both the High Court and the Court of Appeal have upheld the conduct of the Department of Work and Pensions since 1995, and the Supreme Court has denied the claimants’ permission to appeal.”
