Time For Pension Justice

Are you one of the 1950s born women who have been denied your pension?

It is estimated that 3900 women born in the 1950s in the Llanelli constituency have been denied their pensions, of whom 600 reached pension age by the end of last year.

The women have formed a local group Women Against State Pension Injustice Llanelli that have been very active in campaigning for reform of the pension system.

On behalf of the women I made a plea in the Senedd during Counsel General questions for Welsh Ministers to back their campaign for justice.

Plaid Cymru is backing calls for 1950s women to have early access to their pensions and pension credit.

The Counsel General Jeremy Miles told the Senedd the Welsh Government’s last letter to the Westminster Government on the pensions issue did not even get a reply.

Jane Jones a WASPI campaigner from Llanelli said:

“The Counsel General said last year he couldn’t get involved in the judicial review, but in reply to Helen Mary Jones he said he had written to the UK government, but had no response. Can I ask that he produces the letter and answer why he has not followed up with another letter to the UK government to get a response.

“Yet again 1950’s women were not mentioned in the chancellor’s recent statement. Another missed opportunity to shake the money tree and pay what we are owed, and letting us retire while also relieving another problem by giving the young our jobs. Instead he offered up a gimmick of £10 off meals.

“Hopefully the hearing at the Court of Appeal this summer, will finally settle the wrongs of past and present governments, if not our fight for justice will continue.

“In the meantime MPs Ben Lake and Andrew Gwynne have been asking the Chancellor to allow all 1950’s women immediate access to their state pension. We want the Welsh Government to support this. We 1950’s women can be a part of the economic recovery, by freeing up jobs for the younger workers.”

The case has been heard at the Court of Appeal at the moment we’re still waiting for a verdict – whatever happens I will continue to support the campaign for justice. The whole point of pensions is that it is universal and that is what these women are entitled to.

Plaid Cymru believes the Westminster Government should make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born in the 1950s, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age with a lack of appropriate notification.

The Westminster Government has shown themselves willing to make very substantial investments in protecting our economy.

It is time they make a similar investment in addressing the injustice that the women born in the 1950s have faced.

There would be potentially an additional benefit to doing so, because it would enable some of those women to retire as they had planned to do, potentially releasing some roles in the workforce for workers who are not yet ready to retire.

A Plaid Cymru motion I put forward was successfully passed in March 2019 by the Senedd. Members of different parties in the Senedd recognised the Women Against State Pension Injustice campaign, and offered support to the women in their legal fight against the Westminster Government.

HelenMary.Jones@senedd.wales

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