I wonder if Mr Plod has a good sense of humour. It is a good photoshop. Pic Credit: Paul Downes @CallmeDownsie
CROSS POSTED ON BYLINE.COM
The mantra that we cannot afford to pay the 3.9 million 50s women their pensions until they are 65 and soon 66 is based on the premise that there is no money in the National Insurance Fund. The big question is why?
I have already in a previous report for #Backto60 shown that the accounts of the National Insurance Fund are in fact in surplus. But detractors point out that they soon won’t be if the government hands back £77 billion owed to the women.
But what if we have reached this situation because the government has raided a fund which is 91 per cent spent on pensions for other benefits. And what if the Treasury deliberately decided to undermine the fund by avoiding paying any money into it?
This is what I have found out by investigating the history of this fund.
The original fund was set up in 1911 by Lloyd George and did not cover pensions – but helped pay medical bills for wage earners and provided unemployment benefit for some workers. Employers and employees had to make compulsory contributions.
Pensions were introduced for those over 70 in 1908 and were means tested and supervised by local councillors. People could be disqualified from getting a pension if they had been imprisoned for ten years, weren’t of good character and were drunkards. The money came from general taxation. There is a House of Commons library report about the act here.
The real major changes came under the Attlee government which set up the welfare state. The National Insurance Act, 1946 introduced compulsory NI for all working people except married women. It set the pension age at 60 for women and 65 for men. Pensions, unemployment benefit, sickness benefit and a maternity allowance and death grant were paid out of it. There is a useful summary in the National Archives here. But it was run as a ” pay as you go ” scheme with money topped by the Treasury.
It is the attack on these provisions which began under the Thatcher government in the 1980s that has led to the 50s women losing out.
An excellent report by the House of Commons library describes what happened. It is worth quoting parts in full.
“In each year from 1948 to 1989, the National Insurance Fund received a grant from the
Treasury, known as the Treasury (or Consolidated Fund) Supplement. The origins of the
Supplement lay in the Beveridge Report, which envisaged a tripartite scheme of contributions to the Fund, whereby the Treasury would pay one third of the cost of unemployment benefits and one sixth of the cost of pensions and other benefits. In practice, the level of the Supplement tended to be around 18% of contribution income, a level at which it was fixed by the Social Security Act 1973.
“From 1980, the value of the Supplement began to decline, reflecting partly the growing level of contribution income and partly the constraining of spending on benefits by the abolition of earnings linking of the pension and other long-term benefits and earnings-related supplements to unemployment benefit. By 1988 the Fund’s contribution income exceeded its benefit expenditure, leading to a steady growth in the balance of the Fund (from £5.3bn in April 1986 to £10.4bn in April 1989 ).
In this context, the then Secretary of State for Social Security, John Moore, stated in 1989 that:
“The tripartite principle is already effectively a dead letter. The rationale behind it has
gone, and the Supplement has been shrinking steadily as a proportion of the Fund’s
income from about one-third in 1948. It now stands at only 5%. We consider that there
is now no need for it all. The £26bn of expenditure from the Fund is fully covered by
contributory income and the abolition of the Supplement will have absolutely no effect
on that expenditure”
“The Supplement was abolished by the Social Security Act 1989.”
It was a disaster – the fund which then had big surplus – went heading into the red – as it was now being raided for the full cost of unemployment and sickness benefit at a time of high unemployment.
So in 1993 the Major government had to partly retract by reintroducing a Treasury supplement because money in the fund had fallen by a staggering 50 per cent due to benefit pay outs as well as pensions. Pensioners were robbed.
But the government fixed the rules so it was much less generous than the system they bequeathed from Attlee. As the report says :
“There are a number of differences between the Treasury Grant and the Treasury
Supplement. First, the levels of Treasury Grant are set by reference to benefit expenditure rather than to contribution income. Second, and more significantly, whereas the Treasury Supplement was paid annually, irrespective of whether it was actually needed to finance a particular year’s expenditure, the Treasury Grant is paid at the discretion of the Secretary of State.
“The amount of Grant paid to the Fund was limited to a maximum of 20% of forecast
benefit expenditure in 1993-94, and to a maximum of 17% of forecast benefit expenditure in subsequent years.”
The truth of the matter is that the rules were skewed so the Treasury never had to pay out any money. From 1989 to 2014 if the Treasury had returned to its original support under the Major, Blair and Brown governments, the Tory Liberal coalition and Cameron’s government, billions of pounds would be available now to help pay the 50s women. Instead as we know successive governments ruthlessly decided to solve the problem by raising the pension age.
In top of this the government also amended the benefits that would be paid out from the fund – including some new benefits like paternity benefit for example.
Anyone who believes the changes that happened – both the removal of Treasury contribution to the fund and the subsequent rise in the pension age – was a happy coincidence is deluding themselves. You can see here in an article in the Daily Express what George Osborne, the former chancellor, told investors at the Global Investment conference in 2013. Scroll down to the video
George Osborne speaking at the 2013 Global Investment Conference
He said: “Tackling entitlement costs and the cost of an ageing society is a real challenge for Western democratic societies and in the UK we’ve brought forward the increase in pension age to 66 in this decade; we’ve brought forward the increase to 67 in the next decade and actually because of some reform taken some years ago the female pension age is increasing to 65 as we speak.”
“These changes, when you’re a finance minister, the savings dwarf almost everything else you do.
“They are absolutely enormous savings and they enable you to go on providing a decent retirement income. So you’re not necessarily reducing the entitlement of people who are retired you’re just increasing the age when that entitlement kicks in. ”
“Of course when these were first put into practice these pensions systems life expectations was dramatically less.
“I’ve found it one of the less controversial things we’ve done and probably saved more money than anything else we’ve done.”
Need I say more. The UK has one of the lowest and least generous state pension in the developed world and it has been bought about by making huge savings against 50s women.
Westminster Confidential 
They need to pay the money they owe now. Before money is wasted on a legal battle defending their position albeit without any chance of winning.
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We have Michael Mansfield QC fighting for us.
I have faith.
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what they have taken from the NI fund is such an injustice to the women born in the 1950’s – pleased to have Michael Mansfield QC and all other people involved,The government should be taken to task over these investigations.
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Totally agree, I think this government should be charged with embezzlement as that money is being stolen from 50’s women, old age pension is not a benefit it’s been paid over working lives, in any other situation people would be incarcerated for doing what they have done!!
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Some men being hit by a double whammy meaning their wives are affected to and they are frozen pensioners. WHAT ABOUT THGE FROZEN PENSIONERS AFTER ALL OVER 70 YEARS OF DISCRIMINATION AND POVERTY??????
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so do I disgraceful they embezzled money and laughing at us, i agree it is not a benefit paid my full ni from my wages and worked for 51 yrs,so well paid for my pension,
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lOOK AT THE SMUGNESS ON ALL THESE POLITICIANS AND WEBB GOT A KNIGHTHOOD FOR PUSHING THROUGH SECTION 20 OF THE PENSIONS ACT MEANING STATE PENSIONERS PENSION ARE FROZEN!!!
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In my opinion Webb and Altman should be stripped of their titles with immediate effect, given their part in the pensions farce, they both speak on tv and in press without any remorse. As usual time will judge them.
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Totally agree someone needs held accountable for this they have affected so many people’s health with the stress and worry absolutely shocking !!!
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Yes: UK pensioners are bottom of the list of nearly 40 countries in Europe. It’s shameful. As a woman with a family of three children to look after, I could only work part-time for many years and thereby I have a reduced State Pension. Family allowances then would only cover the cost of one meal a week for us all. No free school meals at all for children.
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I have given this country 45 years of service so far. I am doing a job that I no longer can but the Government is forcing me to do this job – working with Mental Health AND the Elderly with advanced Dementia. I do all kind of shift pattern, night duty including. For my age, am just a vulnerable as the people I give care and support. So, how can the vulnerable look after the vulnerable. I wrote to my MP a few years ago about this but nothing was done about it, He is now the Mayor of London and nobody cares. The Government is abusing me and many 1950s women like myself by forcing me to do a job that no longer can. Mrs May is around same age as me, can she do what I do for a living? Can she do the job that I do and Night duty? I am very puzzled as to how Nobody in a position that can support us – 50s women to take the Government to Court and the government need to be made to pay for the legal cost. This is the only Action that is left to be taken. We all know that we have been Robbed but what can be done about it, sure if I committed a crime of robbery, I will be punished according to the Law. Is it not a breach / robbery what the Government is doing to us – 50s women? We want our Pension Now and back dated from when we were 60 years old. We do not want No less, No more, just what is ours. None of my business if pension increased BUT must Not apply to us, we have done our years and time to pay back what we have put in. I am very depressed day by day and making me ill. # Waspi
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It is a shocking state of affairs i was born 1954 and live alone and i am on Universal Credit. My God what kind of monsters are these people women in their 50s still working hard are on their knees.
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Women born in the 60’s are just as much at risk and have been robbed the same way as 50’s women. We now have to work another 7 years before getting our state pensions which means we will have worked 51 years same as 50’s women before we get our pensions. Many of us are also suffering ill health and our struggling. The government has a lot to answer for. They are nothing but educated thieves and scoundrels all out for themselves all retiring years earlier than us with massive pensions to boot! They need to understand that without the working class they are NOTHING!!! They should respect this and hand over what is due to us what we as a nation have paid for!
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Hang on in there and hope to God that we do get our pensions this year. We need it, we earned it and we bloody deserve it x
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Facebooked.
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Cannot believe what has happened to our country, people that work get sod all. I’ve worked since being 15, was the last that year to leave before it went up. Nobody has thought about the jobs we all do different to sitting on backsides all down.There’s enough money in the pot for members of Parliament to retire but not us. This would not happen in another country. I have got to work another 6 years. Disgusted in this country nobody high up cares has long has they are filling their pockets. I’m not in good health but hey ho if I drop tomorrow my pension can go to some other money making racket.
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Thank you for your report 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡I’m lost for words .
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This is disgusting why should we have to pay for their mistakes.Women who lose their other job,do we starve. Can’t sign on as we get told we have enough stamps on. We need our money, we worked hard for that. We paid in, you pay out. It’s our entitlement some very good friends of mine have not lived long enough to get theirs. l’m sick to the back teeth with this government whoever gets in next time none of them are going to do nothing for the women of the 50s. l can’t see any of us getting anything. The money has been spent.
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Thieving swines.but they’ve got money for their own to retire on thousands a week and a huge lump sum.ive paid 43 years of full national insurance stamps and need OUR DUES back NOW..I’ve joined one voice and donated several times in the hope they’ll listen..the heartless muppets should do what they promised.60 for woman’s retirement and get it back asap.
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Fantastic. Thank you David
#OneVoice
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Disgusting, us women are being robbed by this government and they know it. They would rather see us dead before we receive what is ours. If this had been on the other foot they would be looking at fraud. i know I won’t see old bones and I would like my pension now. Shame on you, as the saying your all right Jack you won’t have to worry.
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This is disgusting, I want my money back !!! I am 62 and after 15 yrs of caring for our LAC ( looked after children) have to restrain them to keep them and others safe. I still go to work but in constant pain, put my other staff member at risk because i’m a lot slower, struggle to hold them which puts the child at risk. This is just not fair x
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we the voters in this country voted to be goverend by a cabal of criminals, mainly govt ministers who laugh at the plight of our women colleageus yet complain about their actions. Jeremy Corbyn warned you about this yet you chose to ignore his consernes
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👏👏great read David Thankyou for your continued support much appreciated #BackTo60 #OneVoice
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OMG…I’m 63…working full time & also trying to look after my mother who is 86 & very poorly herself…I like many other women have my own ailments I’m asthmatic & COPD (non smoker never have.. )I also have Osteo Arthritis in my hands. I would like to hear that the government would also work till they are our age to see how it affects them.,.George
Osborne in that statement spoke like he was doing us a favour by putting the age up to 66 & we would so much better off…bloody nerve of the man. Angry isn’t the word. Thank you backto60 for all you are doing for us.
haveOsteo
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OSBORNE also stated IT WAS THE EASIEST MONEY HE’D EVER MADE
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the Goverment bleats that it will cost
77 billion to give the 50s women there pension yes 77 billion that we have paid in and is rightly ours where as that money gone ???? I not only being a 50s lady have been robbed of my pension I have also been robbed of precious time with my father who I wanted to spend more time with when I retired. I No longer can as he passed away just before Christmas that is precious time I can never get back nor the next 3 years I still have to wait for what is rightly mine my PENSION.. I hope we Win in June as we have Lost a lot of time already that we cannot get back. And this is the thanks you get for working your back side off for nearly 50 years. Robbed of what you are entitled to. Many thanks back to 60 and the Legal team.. I’ve got everything crossed for June.. Its a Win win win……
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OMG…I’m 63…working full time & also trying to look after my mother who is 86 & very poorly herself…I like many other women have my own ailments I’m asthmatic & COPD (non smoker never have.. )I also have Osteo Arthritis in my hands. I would like to hear that the government would also work till they are our age to see how it affects them.,.George
Osborne in that statement spoke like he was doing us a favour by putting the age up to 66 & we would so much better off…bloody nerve of the man. Angry isn’t the word. Thank you backto60 for all you are doing for us.
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I have just lost my husband they have not only took our pensions but our widows benefit so i have to carry on working because i dont get state psnsion till i am sixty six worked all my life so as my husband and we have received nothing from the money we have put in . Most of us will never be around to get our pensions this is theft from the working class x
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They say people are living longer ,so many friends have died before reaching a pension. My self and the majority are in pain with arthritis joint pains .
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Great piece! Dynamite! This needs to be shared and shared! Thank you David for such an important informative article!
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Thank you so much, David, for this detailed expose` of our State Pensions theft. Our govt’s have repeatedly treated women in most despicable way but no more! We will keep on fighting until ALL 1950’s born women receive justice. Now we have Michael Mansfield QC fighting the good fight on our behalf & we will win.
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Yes we will every faith 64 in September just had hip replacement so cannot work
Let’s hope we finally have what we are entitled to !!!
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Does the restriction of pension rights for anyone who has been imprisoned for ten years, is not of good character, or is a drunkard, still apply?
Asking for a friend.
Cheers. Vernon.
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Oh dear suffer u old hits sais this government
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Women seen has easy targets. Always Been used as cash cows from being robbed of our SP employed in low wage service jobs to being unpaid carers Never had chance to build up pension pots Never had still haven’t got equality.
Thank you David for publishing this article to highlight how Governments have ripped off our pension fund.
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The thieving powers that be past and present all have enormous pension pots paid by us makes me sick to my gut I am 64yrs old and widowed at 60yrs my poor husband died at 62yrs old never saw his pension age but hay ho lots of immigrants got here’s a house money prisoners got money just because they had to slosh out some piss we the people who put the money into the system get hee haw 😲
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There are people who have never worked in their lifes and are better off than me and my husband who have worked all our lives and are now aged 60 and cannot imagine what it will be like if we have to rely on our pension. I will have to work until. 66 and maybe further if subsequent Governments change the age again, are they hoping we die off before they have to give us our pension? It certainly seems like that.
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Need to share and share this, this government will be alright they can get pension when they want and money for Life!
Thanks for this post !
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It’s tantamount to theft. I’ve paid 40 years plus contributions and they have took my money and I’d like it back !
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Pay up I paid in. Raid your own megga pension pots you bunch of posh twits
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Does any1 think that we will ever get are money and be able to retire at 60, im 61 working full time in the care secter, and have worked since leaving school at nearly 15, i just want what i and thousands of other women want the right to retire now and get my bloody pension
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Women’s fight for equality sees them succeed in getting equal pension age – hoorah! But not equal pension entitlements, in many cases, because of years spent raising children and / or looking after family members. So any private or contributory pension a woman might have will also be lower. Disadvantaged at birth! I won’t get a full state pension, but I have still lost around £35k by the raising of the age to 65. There are many women in far worse situations than mine. I am selfemployed and very busy! But long to slow down 😞
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Beggars believe… or does it?? Just another example of those that have taking from those that have not!!
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Well its a relief to know that the fight continues but Waspi still needs more publicity and media support! It will take a change of government before we see any real hope !
The tories have taken advantage of the financial crash and used it to pursue austerity and capitilist policies and raided public bodies . Trickle down economics is a lie . The government and right wing media barons like george osbourne have
abused their powers . Our main grievance is that we did not receive adequate notice and surely that has to be fought in a court of law
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Pingback: The Downing Street state pension robbery | Fear and loathing in Great Britain
Of course , along with this pension age lottery for women there is the Frozen pension issue which could also affect them by denying any indexation based on where one lives. A stupid unnecessary section 20 in the Pension Act calls for a reciprocal agreement with the country of residence of the retiree when no such agreement is required as this is purely a domestic policy which does not require any foreign government to ‘allow’ it ? Then we have this abuse of an Act of Parliament to impose a fraudulent method of denying people their qualified pension uprating. No private insurer could legally do this.
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Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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A very interesting article showing further evidence of the lying, deceitful, corrupt nature of nearly every Tory Government since the 50s
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An unambiguous a case of complete mismanagement of contributory income by Government and for Government. The original premise of the fund was to gauge what pension payments would be necessary at any given time based of birth/death rates, date of entry into employment, duration of employment etc. To gain such a massive surplus between 1986 and 1989, almost doubling, would have been in no small part to many ‘boomers’ reaching their peak earning power and thus their contributions. For government to then decide, at this time, to reduce or withdraw the Treasury supplement was nonsensical and shortsighted as they should have been more than aware that due to lowered birthrates, women working full time and various other social changes there would inevitably be a decreasing workforce and thus lesser contributions to fulfill the obligations of the ‘pay-as-you-go’ pensions of previous contributors. I find it difficult to believe that this was ‘just’ a cockup with untold numbers of civil servants and statisticians available to Government to make reasonable assumptions, projections and assessments of the effects of cultural and societal shifts and know what the Treasury would need to provide to maintain the necessary equilibrium of the fund. It could be argued that the reduction of National Insurance Contributions by £3 per week to every UK employee in 1989 may have been funded by the Treasury supplement previously earmarked for pensions.🤔🤔🤔 In 1989 the economy was beginning to tank, interest rates were at 14% and there was a leadership challenge to Thatcher, thus an extra £3 every week to spend would have helped soften the economic down turn whilst keep the prevailing political bandwagon on the rails for a little longer, in fact until 1997, another 8 years. The ‘generational’ unfairness sophistry we hear so much about is exposed in all it’s ugliness by living through the those times and a.bit of research. Throughout our lives, there is, evidentially, a set of fairly consistent parameters such as entering the workforce at 15/16 or 18 for most of the population and 60/65 for retirement. Approximately 5% of young people went to university compared to a figure closer to 50% now. A large proportion of today’s graduates further delay entering the work place by continued study with Masters and/ or Ph.d, further delaying making NI conts until mid to late 20s. This one aspect of social engineering instigated by Blair et al and continued by every Government since, must have massive effects on the Contributions ‘pot’. Coupled with the ‘zombie/gig economy’, zero hour contracts to name but two, the population of the UK is in deep, deep trouble The population has increased by 8.5 million between 1989 and today, mostly fuelled by immigration and, as immigrants in general, work for lesser wages and thus lower contributions, there will be an even bigger population very soon who cannot be provided for or looked after in older life.
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Rosalyn. Thank you very mucjh for this. You make some very pertinent points.
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No, thanks very much to you, David, for your continued support. My long response was actually truncated, as there are many other relevant tangents to the background analysis. I love to read and research, to try to make sense of and understand the utter chaos that has seemingly engulfed the Western world. Sadly, I now rarely listen to or watch MSM even my beloved Radio 4, as ‘group think’ and propaganda has replaced journalism and pursuit of the truth, no matter how unpalatable.
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These changes are a Human Rights issue as 50’s women have been victimised & targeted due to there vulnerability & clearly lack of notification regarding this huge financial loss which is having a massive affect on women. We are a generation of women who worked & had children, who are also working now, alongside their mothers who are still contributing to this country.
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These changes are a Human Rights issue as 50’s women have been victimised & targeted due to there vulnerability & clearly lack of notification regarding this huge financial loss which is having a massive affect on women. We are a generation of women who worked & had children, who are also working now, alongside their mothers who are still contributing to this country.
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This is a great article and I cannot believe that the government can justify the way they have cheated us out of our pensions, they had the cheek to say to me that even those who have health problems are being looked after, under the new rules for pip I saw my money cut, am I trying to work for myself without support or help from the so called working links, then lost my tax credits, then say my private pension collapse with no money and they waited years to tell me this to. next the will be sending us to the poor house, I worked from 16yrs old and paid in all those years just to be ripped off.
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Thank you David. I’m 64 worked for 49 years and still working till my SPA Nov 2019. I will have over 50 years NIC. I have raised two children, put them through Uni, they are now both teachers. Cared for my beautiful mum till she died in 2016 aged 96. My husband had to work another 3.5 years till he could go on no longer, he is 69 this year and our plan was always to retire at 60/65. I’m the one having to carry on as I can’t afford to retire unless I get my SP , were is equality in that? I’m angry beyond words and not in good health. I feel I will never reach my SPA and my family will never ever forgive or forget what they have done to me and millions of others😢😡
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Reblogged this on hilary77blog and commented:
WASPI WOMEN need to read this
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Shocking theft of women’s pensions. To steal away monies without adequate notice , even tho myself and over 3 million had paid in to a pension system as our part of the ‘contract ‘ for 40 years, only to be denied a payout 2/3 years before it payout time is theft by no other name !
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Is there an overview anywhere of what actions are being taken by all Waspi groups across the country……..its easy to feel your a lone voice in the wilderness sometimes. would be good to get a regular update on whats happening elsewhere.
and maybe more direct action is required. any ideas?.
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Its a disgrace but realistically I think it would be fair if it went back to 1999 act was a good midway point.
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Probably the biggest case of discrimination against women in recent years, comparable with the struggle foe female suffrage. David you are a fine journalist. Thank you.
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This does not help my situation, reading all this, I have worked since I was 16yrs old and expected to retire at 60 but to be told I have to wait another 6yrs to do this and get MY PENSION. I am furious and so are all of the women in my situation. We were not warned about this, and apparently I have heard from my local MP that us women were informed in a small article somewhere in The Financial Times, well I can tell you, me or my fellow 50’s women don’t read that paper!!! Surprise Surprise , maybe that’s why the government decided to put it in their !! Well I am now 64 and am wishing my life away and can’t wait until I am 66, I work and try and juggle babysitting, I am not as nimble and don’t have the energy I used to have, but heyho if I had plenty of notice about this I would have invested in a private pension!! And not be in this situation. We need compensation, and the Government need to find it one way or another, the person who dealt this blow to us women has took early retirement with a MASSIVE 💰 PAYOUT.
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Yes, the real problem (apart from Government mismanagement of the pension pot!) is that (as Rosalyn Morgan pointed out) the birth rate has fallen and (although I don’t have statistics to back this up, I’m sure someone, somewhere, does) there are probably more people coming up to retirement age now than there are workers to pay their pensions. Because when we contribute, we are not saving up for OUR pensions (it isn’t a savings scheme), we are paying the pensions of those already in retirement. And this is why we are where we are, and why so many people (not just women, of course) are having to wait longer for their State Pension. I will be 60 this autumn and will not get my SP until I am 66. My husband is 2 years younger than me and won’t get his for a number of years either. Our son will (as things currently stand) won’t get his until he is 68 – almost 70. No matter how I try to rationalize it, it doesn’t seem fair on anyone.
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Absolutely disgusting we have worked hard to be shafted by our government and we are one of the worst countries that do not look after our people at retirement it’s shocking and beyond belief
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Pingback: The Downing Street State Pension Robbery – leftwing nobody
I’m struggling to earn enough money to survive having been laid off at 59. I’m 63 now. Can’t the government compromise and offer us perhaps 50% of what we’ve lost. It would show that this government is not as heartless and MP’s are not as self obsessed as we all believe they are – but care for the communities they say they represent!
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Sorry, but you are living in cloud cuckoo land if you think the government will ever do anything except bite the hand that feeds them. Without exception they are a bunch of money grubbing parasites and should be taken out and shot. I would like to see them exist without their expenses or their fat salaries and physically work 12 hours a day to take home the miserable 150£ a week of my pension. It is not even the Minimum wage equivalent (40 hours @ 7.83£/hr = 313.20£) so why is it right for us to live on half the minimum wage, while billions are being paid to countries who have nuclear programmes, standing armies and often fund terrorism???
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Find it absolutely disgusting I was born 1954 got all my stamps still have to go to work in pain and I thought after life full of problems I would at least enjoy these years but for greedy politicians taking it away goes a bit like this I’m all right jack
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This was picked up by BackTo60 and put on FB this morning. I made a long comment on there which is totally echoed in all the messages here. Any ladies not already following them it’s well worth doing: BackTo60. We are in this together and ALL feeling thoroughly disillusioned and cheated by it all.
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I don’t believe we will be reimbursed, as the money they’ve taken from us is financing HS2.
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So it’s about time that HS2 was scrapped before another £1 is spent – purely to satisfy those who can afford a damned expensive rail ticket from London to Birmingham and Manchester and get there 25 minutes quicker. Save the PROBABLE £200 BILLION it will cost by the year 2030 – then STOP sending £13 BILLION a year in Foreign Aid to countries who just waste it – AND SORT OUT THE WHOLE PENSION PROBLEM, HEALTH SERVICE, POLICE AND EDUCATION ISSUES TOO.
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Absolutely shameful the way 50s women are being treated, lets face it by the time you reach your sixties all manor of illnesses start kicking in, and women are expected to still work unbelievable.
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Just a quick request. That photo of Downing Street was originally created and posted to Twitter by myself. I have the original artwork if you’re interested.
Just saying.
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Don’t forget Gordon brown chief pension Robber
You are paying for the Banking crisis
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I bet he had chance to put in place a pension fund to protect himself, unlike us.
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Can this report be sent to the papers it needs to be seen by everyone ! This goverment is vile they are just blameing everything on the elderly , the generation before us saved our country, our generation help rebuild, look after those who saved us in thier later life, paid towards a NHS to look after us in later life and of course our pensions , struggled to buy our own houses but hay lets give it in grants and hand outs to the next generations a generation of takers not givers
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Well said BB. We are the suckers in this whole debacle (and not out of choice).
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Just pay it now and do what’s right and fair for a change
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£45000 is what I have lost without all the other women of my age or similar.
This government has cynically plotted to fill the coffers at our expense….
Disgusting!!!
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This is discusting, I reach 60 last year and have to wait another 6 years for my pension that I am in titled to.
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Thanks very much David. Great read. I’m so angry, I’m 62 this year, got over 4 extra years to go. Thieving gits. They’ll get huge pensions, not that they’ll need one. They’ve all go millions! We are the minions, the couldn’t care one not about us.
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I hope all the women that are impacted by this do what I will be doing, and that’s voting for anyone but the tories, either at a local or national level.
Never again will I vote for them, and that includes all my family and children as well. And make it plain to your local Tory MP, councillor that you will be doing this and why.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
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It is an absolute disgrace that 50’s women are suffering under this legislation but that there is always money available to send abroad, when are our own going to be looked after? We send to China and India, we contribute to disaster funds but our own women are being trodden on! We also support out of this fund all the people who come to this country and claim unemployment benefit. What we should be doing is controlling child benefit and limiting it to two chikdren. Why should the taxpayer keep paying out to people who keep reproducing, if they can’t afford them they shouldn’t have them!
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I think it is quite unnecessary, and does this cause no favours, to try to shift the blame for the women’s pension injustice onto UKIP territory, implying the issue has anything to do with ‘people who come to this country’, ‘people who keep reproducing’, and funds spent on compassionate care for those in other countries who are at risk. In fact, it appalls me to see such dog whistle politics dragged into this issue. Let’s focus on the real culprits: successive governments who have acted to rob women of the money they had already contributed to their future pensions.
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Once again we are being robbed of our rights and dues because of the rotten core in this and previous governments. Its alright for the politicians to have a huge increase in their pensions but sod all for the actual grafters. We have one of the lowest state pensions and it will get lower, lets stop the rot now.
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Robbing the older ones so that they can give bigger tax cuts to their mates end of
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I am all for helping all who have had to claim benifits through no fault of their own but it is all the ones that milk the system for years and years that my NI contributions have paid for and I am now told ….sorry love you need to keep paying for another 6yrs because we have run out of your money for your pension and we need 6more years to keep paying the benefits of all those milking the system before you yourself can retire …..that to me is the government stealing what is rightly my money … I Honoured my part of the deal by working 45yrs and paying into the system all that time the government has broken theirs by not giving me my pension at 60……
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Thanks Sheena I can see why you are so frustrated and angry about this. Just one point the National Insurance Fund is itself is hardly robbed by people fiddling the system. The main benefits paid out other than pensions are maternity allowances ( bit difficult to fiddle that ) and the Job seekers allowance ( where there are pretty strict measures to make sure people do look for work or they lose). It is the other benefits that are paid out of general taxation where they are more fiddles.
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Brilliant research David, everyone needs to hear the truth. All I can say for a Christian country like this, the Govt has stabbed all 50’s women in the back. But just in case they have forgotten, there is something called KARMA, and as Jesus put it, “Do unto others that you would be done by”. Why do you think He said that, to remind us all that at the end of the day this Govt will be stabbed as well and pay it all back. So bring on the legal battle for both men and women and let’s have the Pension Fund REFORMED and RINGFENCED. So those of you reading this, pray together that ‘If two or more ask of anything as touching (binding) on the earth plane, it will be done by my (our) Father in heaven.’ We are all in agreement that the pension age is back to 60 for all (don’t forget if women’s pension age went up, so men’s pension age can go down also), and for the present the 50’s women are paid back their dues. AMEN
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It is a shambles. Just want my pension
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What is Labour’s position on this robbery?
will never vote Tory again, and not just because of this particular piece of daylight robbery.
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I can see this as an argument against raising SPA, in general, but I still think that women should get their SP at the same age as men. So, I think it was right to increase women’s SPA, regardless of whether there’s a treasury grant/supplement, or not.
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Brilliant piece David All 1950s women need tp read this. We have really been sold down the line by this vile government. George Osborne saw this as a qick way to make money ! At Backto60.com we have our legal case lead by #MichaelMansfieldQC. We have great faith in him. An outstanding barrister. When we win this government will have to find a shed load of money to pay our earned dues.
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I am so tiered at the moment having to carrying on working at 64 I am doing nights 25 hours a week I have struggled all my life bringing up children on my own after a divorce I have paid in for 49 years, now I am struggling due to ill health and a disability and I still have to keep going, I have never had fancy holiday , luxury items, just essential things , and I don’t have a penny to my name even struggling to pay rent and bedroom tax where is the justice in this ?
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The main fact is that women of a certain age were told many many years ago at the start of their working lives that they would be able to retire at 60 . Now we have to wait another 5/6 years and we have been robbed of up th 6 years of pension just because of the year we were born! Is this fair? I don’t think so !
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The government (past and present) should hang their collective heads in shame. George Osbourne is a slimy little toad gloating over what is robbery from decent working people. It is embezzlement pure and simple.
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We all have a duty to highlight this to the younger generations. If we don’t educate the younger generation this government and all others with create the wall they’ve wanted to build for years. The wall of divide and conquer. This wall will effectively cut you off from anyone younger because you are older and have become surplus to requirements. Fight on my friends the valient 1950s women will survive, win and destroy that wall.
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Its a complete travesty. The pension age change should have been introduced (in 1995) for all school /college
leavers /new employees joining the work force so those individuals then would have known exactly when to expect to receive and save towards their pensions. The 1950s women option was a Sexist Mysoginist hit by a majority of middle aged white men who knew little of working class women’s situations. I will be 60 October 2018 SPA now 2024. Found out via WASPI aged 57.5. My complaint is with ombudsman.
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It was unfair for men who do not live so long to have 65 as retirement age. It could have been raised to in between say 63.. People in government receive large pensions and they should be decreased. Hovever women did expect to retire at 60.
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I have shared with my waspi glasgow and lanarkshire group facebook and public facebook. Lots of interest and anger at the shabby way we have been treated. Now we are joining forces with different groups the govt will be quaking. That is once they have stopped infighting over brexit 🤣🤣
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Thank you David for all this research you are doing. Millions of 1950’s women can’t thank you enough.
I feel also for those behind us who just may find there will not be a State Pension in the coming years.
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This is a disgrace and in my mind an act of fraud on behalf of the Government/Treasury.
The only fake news comes from the politicians, when they are trying to hide the way they treat the electorate.
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Absolutely ridiculous . I was brought up to go out& work for a living. Obviously this didn’t do me any good . I worked from 16 years old till I was 61& couldn’t do my job any longer. I didn’t receive my state pension till I was 63 years old but the government can still send enormous amounts of money abroad to help people in other countries. It’s about time they looked after us as we’ve paid our contributions.
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Paternity benefit -my arse.! We didnt get this when we were having kids your husband/partner just took time off work if at all.
I love the phrase you are not necessarily reducing the entitlement…just increasing the age that entitlement kicks in !! Who is Osborne kidding?.As always the politicians take us for fools and treat us with contempt!!And I’always voted Tory!
Robbed of my retirement time still working til 66. Plus they are now saying life expectancy isn’t as long as theyd anticipated.Probably because we’re more stressed out than previous generations.
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What are you talking about.more fool you for voting Tory.
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There was absolutely no justification for the increase to state pensions !!
If successive governments had mananaged their funds accordingly we would be in receipt of our state pension at 60 !!
FRAUD is the word for this mess !!!
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Get rid of paternity leave that would save alot! Not as if men can breast feed is it realy. And how about means testing winter fuel allowance etc and bus passes too. My mother was a widow at 55 and had to scrub floors to survive, She asked for help from social security and was visited by them to be told to sell her tv first.1967
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I think my main point on this issue is that the Treasury could have made available funds over more than two decades to cover all of this and pay the 50s women. Some of your ideas are not easy to implement – such as means testing winter fuel allowances as it will create new anomalies because we have an individual taxation and the payment is paid per household. I wrote about this in a previous blog when Labour were looking into it and the Tories put it in their manifesto. https://davidhencke.com/2017/05/19/why-the-tory-plan-to-axe-pensioners-fuel-benefits-is-as-flawed-as-labours-ed-balls-up/
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Surely if we are forced to work beyond 60 (I am one of those, born 1955 and now having to work until 65), we should be exempt from paying personal taxes or receive a considerable discount. Someone above also suggested part-payment of the owed pension funds which is better than nothing. The longer this problem is allowed to go unaddressed, the greater the debt and the less-likey we women are to ever see 1p.
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Disgusting doesn’t stop MPs getting thousands from the pension pot and retiring at 55yrs.
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I’m angry because I am now unable to work through illness paid in since 15 am now 61 should have retired last November had someone at the jobcentre tell me there’s nothing wrong with me and I’m fit for work he was only in his thirties.if I could have retired when I should I wouldn’t be going through this.I’ve been without support since June. But I’m lucky I have a husband that supports me.God help those on Thier own.all of it is disgraceful.
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If all us women over 60 retired then there would be plenty of jobs for the young, what the government would save in unemployment benefits for these people would go towards paying back this fraudulent obtained money.
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What I would like to know is what happened to all the contributions paid in by people like my father and also my father-in-law neither of whom lived to reach pensionable age having paid in all their working lives. There must be millions more who did this yet no mention has been made about where their contributions have been spent. I am one of the women born in the 1950s who has to wait until I am 66 to receive my pension. How can the government move the goalposts by 6 years for women like me?
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Robbed all 50s women I’m in I’ll heal and have to work born in 1954 Got all my stamps husband died when I was 34 I was to young to get widow pension had to work after putt him on dyalsis for ten years It’s been hard never having nothing was looking forward to retirement
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When the state pension started very few women worked so got a pension based on their husbands contributions. We lead the way in the 70s as the first generation of women to juggle home family and full time jobs. The fund swelled because of 1950s women and we want what we paid for.
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Very depressing reading. In my opinion the state pension scheme should be considered an insurance scheme rather than a savings scheme. Everybody pays into it throughout working life. Only those in the 20% tax bracket or below should receive the state pension. No idea of the math behind this idea but I firmly believe that people in the 40% tax band and above should not receive ANY state benefits.
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When I worked companies were not legally obliged to provide pensions, even though I requested to pay into a private pension on various occasions. I always presumed that I would retire at 60. I earned my National insurance stamps. I had thirty years of stamps then the Gov put the pension age up and the amount of stamps to 35 years. The boundaries changed and I was not prepared for the changes. A deal was broken and I feel robbed.
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How the hell are they allowed to do this and not be held to account..it’s so unfair..1954
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So sad that these people cannot see the harm they are doing. Robing the needy, seems to be the name of the game in this day n age. Anything goes and they are above the law.
. 50’s women need help now.
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They should pay us what they owe us I think it’s a total disgrace .. I am struggling to work until I am 66 as I can’t afford to stop working but my body needs to retire .. I think we were shafted good and proper
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So because there is a short fall in the pension pot 50s will be targeted for this don’t think it’s fair I have to work another 6 years when I have been working since I was 15 and have paid full stamp for fourthy years , it’s theft and I think this should be referred to court.
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I’m one of the most effective ones I have had to wait not only 5 years but now they tell me I’m not getting my pension on my 65th birthday but another 5 months everyone I know gets there’s on there birthday they have robbed me of £42.ooothis government have stole from all of us and should be made accountable and pay every damm penny back they are robbers
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I’ve lost enthusiasm and the will to fight this. Working until I’m 66, ….. who really cares and is in a position to change the situation 3.9m women mean nothing now they are busy screwing up Brexit. Oh course it’s massively unfair and immoral but it won’t change.
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Annie this is the best chance for a change.. the more pressure put on polticians the better. Don’t give up!
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I paid in for 42 years. Not my fault idiots mishandled my money. Pay me what I am owed!
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They are alright. They can retire with massive pensions at 55. What goes around comes around. They will be voted out.
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I am one of the 50s women. Am 63 in October and work in education. I have contributed to a pension from the age of 15. I took voluntary redundancy from my job as a PT lecturer in 2011. Fortunately I had 17 years of actuarily reduced teacher’s pension which I accessed at age 56. I am married and my husband has a good job. If I were single I could not afford to live on the teacher’s pension alone. I feel that the gvt has swindled a certain demographic out of at least 5 year’s worth of pension. As it is, I am reliant on my husband. I cannot be independent in my own right. The gvt has cavalierly robbed us. I believe I have lost 6 years pension which is approx £40k. I want it to be acknowledged
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What would they have said if I had stopped paying in any contributions. This is Daylight robbery and the government have got away with it.
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So far!
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Whilst I don’t have a problem working till I’m 65 despite I’ll health they where never going to bring men down to 60 what absolutely ticks me off (being polite) is the fact I now have to work another 15 months before I can get my pension. When I left school I was told work all your life and retire at 60 exactly what I’ve done . The goal posts keep changing. If they stopped paying child benefit for children not even in this country then perhaps we can have our pension
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I’m 64 was never told I cldnt retire at 60 no letter telling me anything about having to work till I’m 65and a half next July I’ve been off work long term sick with back and hip pain since Jan with no prospect of going back olso waiting for an op on my leg any time soon I’m sure there r thousands of woman the same or worse than me who wld loved to have retired at 60 but were denied this and r having to work longer with health problems like a lot of women I have worked for 50 yrs next yr and have paid NI all my working life so thanx to waspi and everyone else who r fighting for all us 50’s woman
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Disgrace
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I will be 60 in March. I now have to finish work due to ill health but don’t qualify for pip according to the adviser. I have lung problems and uncontrolled Asthma. Breathing can be difficult. I cannot claim my Pention till I’m 66. My NHS Pention is will be £50 a week. I will be getting £60 sick pay for a short time till they knock me off and go on to job seekers which they will. How will I live. By having to leave my job I will loose £1,100 a month. This government has robbed me my pension. I’m so worried what my future will hold.
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I’m going to say this again and again it’s not just women who lose out but men as well if you want equality and paratie then either make it a fight for both sexes or shut up take it on the chin and move on or if you really believe in equal rights why not fight for men who had to carry on working when women retired at sixty get them the six years back after all by your own wording we are all equal
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Thieves & Fraudsters!
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As always… The women are#######ed!!!
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50’s women are the same group that suffered huge discrimination in the workplace , regularly overlooked for promotion in favour of male colleagues . Often had to give up work due to a lack of affordable child care or no maternity leave . Those that could access maternity leave often received only 6 weeks paid leave at best and their job position was not secure . I know of that worked for a bank were transferred to other branches whether it suited them or not . This happened even if they were returning to exactly the same role .
We did not have the opportunities to earn the same as men and accrue sufficient pension private funds . We worked , cooked , cleaned , looked after sick kids , parents , in laws . As we approached retirement age of 60 the goalpost was moved without us being given sufficient time or notice to adapt financially to this new discrimination . So many 50’s are struggling both financially and physically having battled all their working lives . Now worn out or unable to continue working . The discrimination we have always faced continues by those that are meant to represent us .
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I’m one that has been hit with the change in age to receive state pension.
I work in a very demanding job dealing with companys accounts ..
I deal with thousands of pounds for their purchase of materials wages etc.
As i get older i find it harder to concentrate so make mistakes which cost my employer pounds.
Some jobs like mine need young minds.
I can not afford to finish without my pension.
Help.
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It’s our money and we want it now. We received no notification about this and did not plan for this deficit as such we are at a loss incurring real financial issues. We do not want to receive reduced payments now. We want our full state pension we have contribute to now!!!!
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Why are MPs salaries so high along with all the freebies they receive travel expenses I go to work but no one pays me travel expenses WHY and why is my local bar not subsidies. They stole our pensions and they must repay the debt.
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I recently have been diagnosed with incurable cancer. It can be managed but life expectancy is around 5 years. I am 60 and have had to continue work at much reduced hours whereas if changes hadn’t been made i should be receiving my rightful pension. As things stand I might not even life long enough to get any pension. Not only have I been robbed but the government will likely get away without paying me anything!
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What a terrible position to be in – one that the people who devised the raising of the pension age-obviously never took into account or didn’t care to take into account.
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It’s a total rip off. It’s nothing to do with equality – if it was, the government would be compensating women for when they started work doing the same job as a man but got paid less. We were just an easy target to obtains funds to cover their ineptitude.
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Beyond words
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feel betrayed by my own country which I used to be proud of !Worked all my life paid tax +nic for what ? @ 64 now too ill and too old to find work . 2 more desperate yrs to go before I can get my pension .Used and abused !No notice ,lied to ,laughed at ,shame ,crushed .
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You knew you were getting your pension at sixty five . I knew i was getting mine at sixty but now I’m getting mine at sixty six you explain to me “ when have I had the chance to make other financial and career changes to late now so yes I will have to just get on with it while those who have robbed me of my paid up pension can sleep well at night with no conscience
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Devastating to read. Past govts have treated these women with complete disdain and no care for their financial health and wellbeing into their older years. It’s dispicable. Shame on the British govt. its time we were recognise and this wrong put right.
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I believe the Government have breached a contract with us. Our side was that we paid our NI contributions at a rate set by the Government and their side was that we would receive our pensions when we reached 60. If the pot wasn’t big enough why didn’t they raise NI contributions so that it would be. We had no choice but to keep our side of the bargain so how an they just opt out of their side of it? They are as bad as the private companies who spent their employees pension pots.
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My Service Pension was and pay was abated by 8% pa for my last 4 years of service as WOI Army because Chancellor Callaghan decided to filch th money stating it would be restored and no one would loseI It never has been and explained away as an oversight without explanation! Any attempt to take up the case has always been thwarted Though Senior zofficers, Judges etc received eventual reembursement
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Brilliant and true account of the disgusting situation imposed on the 50s women!
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This has been mentioned many times and proves exactly where the buck should stop, which is not with the 50s born women! There are a few women and many men out there that repeatedly shoot WASPI women down in flames when the complete lack of communication of the pension delay is mentioned. This lack of communication was a deliberate act by the Government to keep us in the dark. There would have been a furore if this had been broadcast, something I certainly would have taken notice of. The money has been stolen by the government, money paid in by us as an insurance. Any private insurance company would not get away with stealing £46,000 from their customers, this would be front page news! Our plight has been deliberately kept out of the media for obvious reasons. We deserve our money, we paid in for over 40 years. We kept our side of the bargain, we had no choice. The government must be made to pay out!
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Totally agree some one needs to be held responsible for this ! Theft in a grand scale ie if I was due the tax man money do you think they would let me away with this no they would be on my case !. So we need to keep on pestering the government the unjustness they have put upon us absolutely disgraceful , but let’s see what happens when it’s election time irl be seriously be deciding who I will be voting for !!!.
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5th richest country in the world and the lowest pensions in the developed world? £75 million bonus for persimmon boss
Where’s the 50s women’s money gone minister?
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So they have stolen our pension and George Osborne must have been laughing all the way
This is beyond belief
We must fight back to get what we were promised
Our damn pensions
Instead of funding everything else
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Absolutely disgusted. We cannot trust anyone. Robbing thieving bastwards!!!!!
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Robbed of our pensions. Almost destitute.
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This is ridiculous,everything these days are a joke.I started saving years ago for reaching pension age,but I am going to get penalised with still having to work to I’m 67.Why should you penalise the over 65s. .Get all these people who don’t have jobs & get help all the time to get out & get a job Stop letting people into our country who then receive free healthcare,houses,it’s draining the services.Why do all these Mps get big rises,then they claim for lunches,taxis.lots of normal people don’t get a rise every year
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I m so fed up with this situation.
I have a tiny little pension that matures when sixty. It s disgusting how we are being trearted. I ve got 2 jobs all be it part time will be sixty in May and was looking forward to getting a bit of time to myself. Due to my health not being great I can t work full time.
Sickening that I also paid 16 percent interest when children were young and a sham of an endowment that had a significant shortfall.
Our generation have been screwed and so have the future generations who don t have a big income. Why oh why are the powers that be getting away with this robbery?
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They keep banging on about aging population and completely miss the point that they would save money by allowing people that want or need to retire, men and women, if unemployed people filled the employment gaps they leave, since a lot of younger people that are claiming unemployment benefits or whatever new name they’ve decided to call it this year… have families that obviously they need to claim for too, they also bang on about this new universal credit was introduced to stop people from not looking for jobs as they were better off on benefits, their words not mine, we the 50’s women and men paid our dues let them do the same for their pensions. Bad housekeeping caused this problem why should we pay the cost, the government has no right to rob us, I hope to god we win this, if we don’t I pity the next generation!
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An absolute disgrace they stole our money if anyone else did that they would be in jail
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This is absolutely disgusting I thought I would retire at 60 then it went to 64yrs 8 months, then changed again to 65 and to top it all off I cannot retire now until I am 66. I dread to think the amount of pension money I could have had. But sadly I am 64 now and have still to work another 2 years 😮
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IT IS A DISGRACE THEY NEED TO SORT IT ASAP.
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We will continue to fight against this injustice. 1950s born working class women have never had equal rights in the workplace. Penalised for having our children, low paid part time work, no workplace pensions. We are not against equalisation but we are against the way our generation have been robbed of our pension and the lack of information/notice letters. Its only this generation that have been robbed and this robbery needs to be addressed fast
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I am a 50s woman and I demand that we get Back260 it is our right. Give us our money you owe us and stop putting into the pockets of the government!!!
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My argument has always been “ it’s not rocket science just let the pensioners get their retirement leaving positions for the unemployed to fill that would save on benifits and taxes paid through these workers would help the money pot !! “ I think it is so unfair that people got to retire at sixty and I’m not given the same fairness to retire too totally unjust .
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Shocking reading we paid in we deserve our money to be back dated. Bad management and devious under hand tactics, definitely ! Make plans for the future – yes but
Our future started 40 years ago. We did what we were asked we paid our dues. Now before you hand billions of pounds out, the money is there (our money) and we are entitled to have our fair share you can then do what you like with the rest, it’s pay out time.
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I have worked since the age of 15 and had to have short gaps in my career to look after sick parents. I have saved hard and not only have I been robbed of my pension at 60 but been hit hard by the falling bank interest on savings. I spent many years of being penalised in the work place as I was a woman and our pay was less. I am still awaiting a letter from the DWP to say that I will get my pension at 66 and not 60. My husband got his pension at 65 and we are still not on equal terms as I won’t get mine until I am 66 and 3 months. It was a disgrace that the coalition government pushed it through with little warning. I feel I should be able to enjoy retirement after years of hard work.
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How can anyone justify savings against 1950s women when those very women, myself being one, are unable to care for elderly parents as we have to work longer. Can no-one see that social care services, which are under strain, could be replaced by FREE CARE which we could offer our parents and would be delighted to do so in their twilight years. Surely this would result in bigger savings. By the time I, and many others retire our parents may no longer be with us. Not only a denial of the opportunity to give something back to our parents but a denial of their rights to be cared for by family rather than strangers.
The flip side to this is also denying young people of well paid jobs for six years while we still (reluctantly) are forced to work.
Do the government prefer to pay out JSA for the young and money from the Social Care Fund for the elderly – surely at a much greater cost – and still deny us our pension rights?
In very simplistic terms – it is just bad housekeeping!!
Let us all hope that on 24th May some steps will be taken forward in this time of injustice to the women of the 1950s – at least a little respite from Brexit!
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Judicial review is 5th and 6th June. But I agree all you said. I was my belived fathers carer for over 7 years and worked part time therefore never earning enough for NI contribution so am short of years. It was only in most of his last year on this earth I was awarded Carers Allowance and he Attendance Allowance aged 85. I will never regret sharing my time with him after losing my darling mother 15 years previously but all your arguments are correct. Give young folks jobs instead of JSA and give us 1950swomen oue Pensions we have worked for and paid for NOW.
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Thank you. This has directly affected me. Having paid into the scheme all my working life, not only have I been swindled out of 5 years of my pension by the government, (approx £30000) but I am not being paid the full amount I contributed to and was promised in a pension forecast approx 10 years ago. Added to this, I was in part time employment and paying no NI and caring for firstly my elderly father then my elderly mother for the last 10 years of my working life.
These circumstances were all part of my decision not to pursue full time employment upon my redundancy at age 54 but to be a carer (and for which I never claimed carers allowance).
Thank you for all your help and support
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It is all very depressing. I am one of the lucky ones – am eighty, got my pension at 60,but reading all the comments from the unlucky ones is heartbreaking. Just because we are living longer does not mean we are stronger, fitter and able to cope. Despite trying to keep active – and eating healthily, I now have arthritis, an irregular heartbeat, peripheral neuropathy, all of which require a zillion pills which make me feel unwell. I am no different to many many women who SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORK into their sixties, seventies and beyond!! Just you wait, you smug MP’S YOU’LL GET YOUR JUST DESSERTS AND IT WON’T BE STRAWBERRIES & CREAM!!!
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Thanks again David.
What with the stop the coupe protest heading up to Buck House this might not get the exposure it should.
I will make sure I retweet at every opportunity
Thanks
Angela ‘The Clippy’
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Disgusting that’s all I have to say on the matter so I can’t afford to retire like I should have been able to do !! Unlike Politicians
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I was sent back to work at 59 now 65 and still waiting on my pension .While the rich can do what they want .i have had my pension Stolen from me I have narrowing of the spine on 15 pills a day to help me work
Britain you should be ashamed
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Great article David. Again. The Lincolnshire Police a few years ago had an anti burglary slogan…….. Thieves are us. No job too small.!!!!! The rich and proletariat haters in Westminster should use that as a voting slogan. Indeed, Osborne and Little wallpaper for your fashionable down stairs cloakroom.! They only want the multi millions of us to pay income tax and Vat. Otherwise we are dirt. Then they steal it for themselves and sneer at us. Not one of them has any idea of what it costs per week per month to live even in their own homes.
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Well said
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So unfair and has left us in hardship
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Shocking worked since 15 now a month from 65 birthday ,stress of work draining working 40 hours a week ,with bad pain and a few ailments all I want is what IS rightfully mine
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Well said David, what a good clear report what everybody understands.its a pity They wasn’t able to say this in court the last two days as I think the judges may have understood why we were taking the DWP to the court appeal. Well done David.
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Not only were we deprived of getting our pension from age 60 which has brought financial hardship, loss of entitlement to other benefits that were available to those that retired age 60 and we have face the challenge of trying upholding jobs we find increasingly difficult to do. The government have provided apprenticeships and given employers financial incentives to employ young people which is great and a £1000 incentive given employers if they keep their employees on after furlough ends. It was suggested those over 60 years old and under state pension age could do apprenticeship S too yet none to my knowledge have been arranged nor have employers been given a financial incentive to employ us either so not only have we been affected by the loss of our pension from age 60 we are marginalised in so many other ways. Yes you can apply for the jobs and because of discrimination and equality if you are fortunate may get interview but rarely actually be employed. Understandably most employers prefer to invest their time and resources in tin those young enough to be around long enough to be a asset to the company.
The government seem to have no real understanding of the challenges we have faced
We are all so grateful to backto60 and yourself for your continuous support and thank you . Now we wait for the outcome of the court case, hoping and praying justice will be done .
Thank You
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All a nest of thieving vipers. They have the nerve to put on adverts about pension theft, when they are the biggest swindlers of all. So unfair and nothing equal about any of it. Men gained one year we gained 6 where is that equal? If I put on here what I really wanted to say I would be arrested. Be sure everyone who has had a hand or gone along with this theft, has a hot seat waiting for them on the other side
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A very interesting piece of research. It is utterly despicable what successive governments have done! It hits the most vulnerable in our society -all in the name of saving money! It is immoral and unjust how 1950s women have been treated and a very sad inditement on this country.
This article should be highlighted in all the major media forums so people know the truth about this outrage!
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How sad…. sad I am a 64 carer in a care home, cast aside by my husband for another… and found myself homeless at the age of 62 because the govt stole my pension! I am struggling emotionally physically financially and often think what’s the point of carrying on?? I have worked continuously from the age of 17, often 2/3 jobs at a time to support my growing family, I am not looking for gratitude just my own pension money to be returned?? If this appeal goes against us 50’s women, then why on earth do we have a Justice System at all if we just can’t get past the judges?? Are they in cohort with the govt themselves?? How on earth can we ordinary joe soaps compete with such a corrupt service??
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This account explains clearly that I, amongst many women, have been robbed of my pension which was due when I reached the age of 60.
I am extremely unhappy at this blatant raid of our pension fund.
I worked all my life and contributed fully to the National Insurance Fund.
There was little notice given and certainly not in any way enough to make serious life and work changes to make up for the loss I calculated at approximately £48,000
I and many other women suffer from.
This should be compensated.
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I literally feel heartbroken, forgotten, disregarded, unimportant today. My emotions are all over the place and I have mixed feelings because I genuinely feel happy for the women who are to receive lump sum and increase in their pension because they were not receiving the money that was due after they divorced or became widowed yet on the other hand this news has evoked a strong feeling of injustice again and feels like a hard blow for all of us 1950s women having to wait 6 long hard years to get our pension and all the other financial support that becomes available alongside the pension such as pension credit, attendance allowance, free bus travel pass etc etc so we have to plod on from day by day in hope that justice will prevail and we too may get a breakthrough and get our pensions too.
News that one MP has started a EDM petition is good and I hope and pray more MPs will sign this and we may get more support soon !!
Thank you for all your support David it is greatly appreciated !
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Hi I’m beginning to wonder what it’s all about I hate to think that these 50s women have been affected financially , I only hope the government are there also for them during this pandemic
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Least controversial because 50s born women were not notified and the whole issue has been unreported by press and media! I, like many women, have lost 6 years and £54,000. Excruciatingly unfair.
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The rich get rich and the poor get poorer. I thought (probably naively) that elected MPs were our servants!
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He has cast millions of fifties women into poverty through his ruthless actions. I now have to rely on my daughter which impacts on her life plans. This damages whole families. If I set out to run a race I would not expect the finishing line moved three quarters of the way round.
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So if I am understanding this correctly, if the Govt reintroduced the Tripartite principle the fund may return to previously known surplus. How long would that take to reverse the damage and restore and possibly increase pensions and reduce retirement age for men and women. Surely it’s worth a try.
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It’s disgraceful that we are still waiting for our pension that was due at 60rys age yet men got added contributions women didn’t what gave them the right to rob us they act as if were begging for a fund we paid in . We are made to suffer because they pilfered our pension they would of also made interest on pension pot . It’s time we had justice this government as made a pile of money during contracts for mates we need paying before we
Die
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I want to know why they can’t afford to pay us back when they can write off millions paid out to bogus contracts set up for PPE, continue to personally profit from being in govt and waste money on ill-thought schemes like the NHS app for COVID…whatever happened to accountability?
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This govt don’t appear to be accountable to anyone.
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I am one of the 3.8 million 50’s swoman Robbed of 6 years Pension by gov’s and the DWP. You say they can’t afford to pay usOur money yet this Govrrem5 have given millions to other Vountries only days ago in their budget.This is Fraud they should go to jail
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As one of the robbed women born in 1955, worked since 1970 I have com to the conclusion that we live in a dictatorship where we are constantly conned by corrupt governments. Had any of the political parties been democratic the increase in womens pension age by 6 years when women have so obviously never had equality in anything else & certainly not earnings the equaling in age alone would never have happened without some form of redress to the obvious lack of earnings required to save for a private pension – ie by being male and always earning more than women- the opportunity that all men had for the 50 years I had worked. And that inequality still applies in most private businesses. Male dominance rules women with little consideration for women. The women that supposedly supported the change for the 50’s women pension age are seriously deluded and will surely realise their own foolishness in time. In the meantime 50’s women are still working to make ends meet… until we die impoverished as we have lived in an unequal world of female slavery. Black or white, women have been enslaved throughout my now 53 years of working for a living with little to show for it, unlike my male counterparts.
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