Women vow to fight over state pensions despite ruling

The High Court ruled women were not discriminated against when the pension age was increased from 60 to 65

Campaigners say they will continue in their fight over state pensions, despite the failure of the ‘Back to 60’ campaign.

Thousands of women were left heartbroken on Tuesday after the High Court ruled women of the campaign were not discriminated against when the pension age was increased from 60 to 65.

Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) has estimated that nearly 40,000 women from East Lancashire have been affected by the state pension age-change by the government, and they are still battling for their pensions.

Hyndburn Labour councillor for St Andrew’s, Stewart Eaves, said: I just think that it is a travesty of justice. These women have lost thousands that they will never re-coup and I think it is disgusting.

Waspi is still fighting for pensions five years on, as campaigners believe their pensions were stolen from them in a case of maladministration by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Both groups believe that women born in the 1950s were robbed of their retirement after the pension age increase, however in spite of the Back to 60 ruling, Waspi women say they will continue in their battle to get their pensions.

Debbie de Spon, Waspi communications director, added: Some women will have supported Back to 60 in their efforts to get full restitution. The chances of that happening were very slim unfortunately so, as a campaign, Waspi wasn’t surprised that the case was not successful. Many Waspi women would have of course hoped that Back to 60 would have been successful as we could have all benefited.

Our protests won’t be delayed any further by the outcome of the judicial review, she said.

Both groups argue they have been unfairly treated and were not given enough notice of the changes to their pensions. The government has said repeatedly the women affected were told about the change in their pension age.

Ms de SponDebbie added: As a campaign, Waspi have never had any indication from any MPs or Shadow Ministers that they would support giving women born in the 1950s full restitution, which is why we have always campaigned for some form of compensation.