Falkirk Council urged to back compensation for WASPI pension women

SNP councillor Lorna Binnie has been actively involved in a long-running campaign to highlight devastating financial problems caused by a lack of communication when the age at which women can get their state pension was changed.

Members of WASPI (Women Against State Pension Injustice) are 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.

Councillor Binnie, who is a WASPI women herself, said: “They didn’t write to people early enough to make them aware of the increase.”

She says a lot of the women affected have already died and too many were left with no savings or forced to sell their homes. 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) – chaired by Labour MP Andrew Gwynne – which is calling on the watchdog to request “the highest compensation level available in making its recommendations”.

Campaigners, including Ms 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 Ms Binnie believes it’s now time to see some action from the government.

Her motion asks members to instruct Falkirk Council’s chief executive to 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.

She 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, run by co-ordinator Anne Campbell, which has brought many women together to find support.

“It’s a great group and one good thing is that we’ve become friends through it,” said the councillor. “But we want the government to get their act together and sort out fair and fast compensation. It’s been going on far too long – the government has been stalling and we really need a decision now,” she said.

Councillor Binnie’s motion will be discussed tomorrow (Wednesday) at a meeting of Falkirk Council to be held in Grangemouth Community Education Unit, 69-71 Abbots Road. The meeting will also be livestreamed on YouTube.