News

The Government have decided to amend controversial plans in the Pensions Bill to increase the state pension age.

Introducing an 18 month cap on the maximum delay, the change will mean 245,000 women will have to wait less than expected under the Bill. Rachel, who as shadow pensions minister joined thousands of women in condemning the plans and ran a high profile campaign against them said:

“I’ve been lobbying for a year to get the government to think again to help the 500,000 women who will have to wait more than an extra year to get their state pension. This is only a partial concession, but the government has at least listened to the women who have lobbied parliament, to the women who have signed the petition and to the thousands of women who have written to their MPs and the government.

After a year of uncertainty we now have the government’s concessions. While I welcome the fact that 245,000 women are going to have to wait less than they had feared, I still have very real concerns: the government should go further.

As many as 1,000 women in Leeds West will still have to wait more than a year to receive their state pension – and while this is good news for those who had to wait for more than 18 months, the extra delay is still a major concern.

It is still the case that 500,000 women are going to have to wait more than an extra year to get their state pension, and 300,000 women who are going to have to wait exactly 18months are still set to lose up to £11,000 because of the government’s changes to women’s retirement dates.”