The 3.8 million women born in the 1950s who lost lost billions of pounds by the raising of the pension age from 60 to 66 had no right to expect to be told about the changes to their pensions, lawyers for the Department of Work and Pensions told a judicial review today.
Sir James Eadie,QC, on behalf of Amber Rudd, the current work and pensions secretary, argued that the women had no legal remedy to get their money back because the judges hearing the case could not challenge the primary legislation which authorised the change. He said constitutional grounds prevented the judges challenging any major primary legislation passed by Parliament.
The full story is on Byline Times here.
Westminster Confidential 
Hold me back!
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Please change Sir James Eadie’s pension as in the interest of equality he has no right to expect to be told.
It sounds like an admission that many of the women in this scandal weren’t informed, just as we have all claimed, no letters sent/received
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If we had no right to expect to be told, why did they spend so much public money on supposedly telling us via TV and news paper ads that were never seen, as well as supposedly sending 5 million letters that were never delivered.
Sir James said that the Government had taken “extensive” steps to notify women of the change to their state pension age and that “personal notifications would have been very difficult if not impossible prior to 2003”? Had he not heard of Royal Mail! They have had no difficulty finding me and taking my Income Tax and NI for the past 45 years.
If this was a private pension and they couldn’t pay out and monies paid in had disappeared, it would be fraud and people would be in prison.
I
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Firstly thank you all for trying to get this injustice resolved your work has been deeply appreciated. I am incensed at the arrogance and the lack of respect from the DWP. I’ve never felt so angry in my life and in my heart i know I will most likely never get to 66 and get my pension. My health deteriorates, I still work and I have family to look after. I wept at the DWP attitude towards our claim. So like many other women I will end up going on sick leave and claiming benefits which will cost this stupid government more than my pension. Does this make any sense?
Dee
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Was there no mention about the payments not being made into the National Insurance
Fund by past and present Governments?
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I was born in 1958. This is my pension being discussed.
In the first 11 years of my career I received a lower salary than my equivalent male colleagues – even though I was asked to train some of them in the finer areas of knowledge they needed – to enable them (us) to progress to senior positions.
My work pension offered no death in service benefit (also unlike my male colleagues) – as it was presumed that I would have a husband who would be able to afford care for ‘any kiddies’ I may have during my career.
In 1993 I became self-employed, partly as a reaction to this belittling.
Now the system revises the date I will receive my State pension, to my dis-benefit again; giving me insufficient time to plan for this and no say in the matter whatsoever.
I have paid my full whack of NI and a goodly proportion of my salary in tax.
I am shocked and aghast at the excuse – not reason – given in this judicial review for withholding our due pension.
Why does the DWP not hold itself accountable for the promise, the commitment, made to us?
I am angry, let down and unwilling to accept this as the end of the matter.
The changed retirement date for women could have been phased in respectfully, and they blew it.
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They deliberately changed the laws to cover up their crime. Only Parliament can change the law – so only Parliament is guilty.
It is an abuse of power of the highest order.
Their reference to the EU is also flawed – we will soon be OUT of the EU – The people have spoken and it’s time to drain the swamp.
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I am not sure who our Lawmakers will hide behind when we leave the EU? In my view this is a great a scandal as Robert Maxwell and his pension heist. Then remember this, years ago, the Government told millions of workers that their pensions were 100% safe. So if your employer or former employer went bust, your pension would be safe and people sighed with relief. Never believe anything regarding pensions. The Financial Assistance Scheme was set in place. Offering Billions (Brown was good at throwing money around) ? In the beginning it provided for 3,000 pensioners claims at a cost to the British taxpayer of 10 million pounds, no that was not what the pensioners were allocated it was the cost of running it.
It gets even worse. The Parliamentary Ombudsman found that the Government misled these workers about the safety of their pensions and must properly compensate those affected. Yet the Government did nothing, neither did the Courts. The Establishment stitch up that lies not in Downing St or Westminster but in Whitehall.
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A very cruel theft. It could have been handled much more humanely, in small steps, over 20 or 30 years, but similar to Universal Credit, the government are hoping that it will all blow over as the victims of this travesty die off.
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That’s a disgrace and an insult to us 50’s women why should we be punished for being born at that time it’s not our fault we didn’t ask to be born at that era so that’s something the DWP had no power to stop and why wouldn’t we have a right to know about it well in advance if they bring out new laws and why shouldn’t we have a right to something that was our right in the first place not inform us just before the age of retirement some not notified at all that’s like telling us we should have had hindsight to see for ourselves if that’s the case THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD HINDSIGHT TO INFORM EVERYONE THEY WASN’T ANY LONGER ENTITLED TO A PENSION THEY DIDNT WE ARE NOT TO BLAME THEY ARE
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Thankyou David for all of your hard work, also to everyone else that has tried to help us.
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Disgusted. Our rightful pension money is no doubt sacrificed to go into the EU coffers.
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Yes very true, things were going so good until they let those heartless deceiving pirates into our countries system. This is more reason why we must leave.
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What do they mean we had no right to be told about the change in pension age? Surely that is not right? Certainly not morally right even if legally right …. but that just goes to show how much we, the common people, are valued in this country, not much use for anything are we? Except canon fodder when there’s a war on …. we’re certainly good enough then !
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Absolutely terrible lots of women left penny less
Because of it,hardly any warning not long enough to sort out anything else,
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David. Why is there no coverage in the media about this atrocity? We turn the news on and they report on less serious subjects like the death of an old jazz singer to name just one silly non relevant item to millions of us. There has been nothing in popular newspapers and certainly nothing on tv. I even watched question time last night and there was not one question. I realise the BBC are under the thumb of the British government but what about the other news channels?
As the court has reserved judgement on this matter – How long do we have to wait for them to announce their response?
Thank you for at least following our cause and keeping those who follow you up to date.
Chris currie
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;is this the end of the campaign or can it be taken further? Absolutely disgraceful.
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Thank you so much to all of those involved in trying to rectify this gross abuse by the government. The level of misappropriation and abuse sets a new low for those in whom we should be able to place our trust.
I entered into a contract and it was my understanding that one party cannot alter the terms of a contract unilaterally, with no notification or equality of resolution (contracts must be equitable). I understood this to be called ‘fraud’ and any commercial company attempting this would be likely to end up in prison (Philip Greene was required to pay millions back into his company’s pension scheme).
I should have retired last year. My occupational pension companies, in league with the government, raised the pension age for women so, instead of living the comfortable life I have planned, saved and sacrificed for, over decades, I am now living in poverty. Like others, I have been unwell for some time and was relying on my pension to pay for help to improve my condition as there is no longer any social care available (again, despite the fact that I paid for it). This is the second winter I spent isolated in my cold and damp house as I cannot afford to heat it. I seriously question whether I can face or survive another six winters like this; I shouldn’t have to – I have paid my dues for over four decades. The goverment have cynically taken this callous action because they think they will get away with picking on already vulnerable women who have neither money nor power to fight them – surely this also breaks the sex equality legislation?
There is an apathy in this country where most people I speak to just expect politicians and governments to act deceitfully at all levels and dream up devious methods to part us from our money.
I sincerely hope that this review has a successful outcome – there comes apoint where they must be held accountable for their dishonest excesses!
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Let’s hope the judge See’s past the DWP’s
Lies and deceit and we get Justice
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COMPLETE BULLSHIT
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We should not have been given the extra 6th year, we already had 5 yrs. We had to suffer the extra year for the bankers incompetence! We should not have had to do an extra year for the sake of so called ‘Austerity ‘!!!!!!
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Although a positive outcome for us actually on the day would have been so great, hopefully when the judges look at all the facts they will be able to see through the DWP’s bluff and bluster. The waiting for the outcome is almost unbearable, I was so,so hopeful it would all be sorted by now.
Thank you David, Michael and all the individuals who have given their all in the hope that justice would prevail.
Let’s hope the judgement comes soon and,please, be in our favour. We have done nothing wrong, just been an easy target for the self-satisfied,overpaid and arrogant people who unluckily have the power to cripple us.
Shame on them.
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I don’t believe the arrogance of the DWP. And David Henckea fter working all these years for women born in the 50’s to be dismissed with such lack of courtesy is a disgrace!! 😟
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Im also one of these 50’s ladies, paid a NIS contribution since I was 15 on the understanding that I would get my pension at 60, apart from us finding it hard to carry on until 66 what about depriving the younger generation of jobs?
Its Government theft and as earlier comments have said if anyone else did it they would be charged. The W.A.S.P.I. group have worked so hard to fight this and I thank them for all their hard work.
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A sad indictment of how women are treated past and present!
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Us women need to vote these idiots out of parliament 😡😡😡 i would like thair petion cancelled, most countries get double the pension we get and they stole that from us .
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So, if this is correct, that we have no rights then why on earth would anyone invest in working hard and paying N.I. contributions because at any point the Government could simply strip some or all of it away?
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Im one of the 50’s ladies and yes i will have paid 51 years contributions when im 66 and allowed my pension. Nothing more than the 186 per week yet i will have paid more than 16 extra years over the qualifying 35 years. Equality they said to bring male and females in line. Male one extra year women 6 extra years! You call that equality!!
We’ve paid our contributions we are not costing the Government anything they had it and spent it elsewhere.
Maybe we should stop paying contributions as we only need 35 years to qualify for a pension.
Think the Government would be taking legal action if we did!
Thank you to the Backto60 team for your hard work in bringing justice for the 50’s women
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Not informing 50’s women of the rise in pension age was there biggest mistake. Had we been given good advise on how alternative arrangements could help us through our wait would have shown compassion & concern.
We have been ignored, neglected & with lack of consideration means we fight back for the underhanded treatment we all feel.
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Me thinks we are back in the dark ages shame on all these men and women who have sanctioned this….
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Yet another 50’s lady here. I too would like to convey my heartfelt thanks to everyone who continues to fight on our behalf. I stayed at home from the age of 25 to 42 to raise our 3 children. With only one income it was difficult to make ends meet and there were very few luxuries but two of my children were high on the autistic spectrum and I had no choice. When my youngest was 16, my husband left us for a younger model, I wasn’t fun anymore apparently! My divorce settlement was calculated on the basis that I would receive my government pension at the age of 60, so the void that I find myself in now, leaves me penniless and struggling once again, I too am reduced to eating tinned food from food banks, working as a carer and being out of my house for 13 hours a day, every day, including weekends, being paid the minimum wage for only 7 of them because of the time it takes to travel between calls. I come home and go straight to bed and get up at 6am to start all over again. I worry every day how long I can continue at this pace, I have arthritis in both my hands and my feet and at times the pain is unbearable. This country is truly broken and no respect or value has been shown to any of us 50’s women by the government or the DWP,. I do history will record their blatant disregard for all of us!
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What a terrible situation for you
At your age you should be able to relax not have to work and get up at 6.0am
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Hi
born in 1960, I paid extra payments into my NHS pension for 17years (actual 23yrs but they lost 5 years worth) found out at 53years of age that my pension date had moved from 55yrs to 60yrs under the 1995 pension changes, when I asked for a total for my pension pot, I was told it was a rewards scheme not a pension, and as such they could not give a total.(I had a private company find out the total) I sent a subject access request for the information on my pension, then I could use the online pension calculator. The result from the calculator (I took a screenshot copy) was disputed, and by persisting -18months later (2017) I was allowed to ‘take my nursing pension at a lower rate’ as I was taking it early and not eligible to commute extra lump sums !
Did lose the will to live at times with the pensions office, but if the Backto60 campaign works then it should positively affect the nurses occupational pensions too !.
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Well its truly disgusting if we lose. We have already paid in our money. Bankers walk away with bonuses and large pensions for putting the county in a very bad position. They can afford to give away millions in tax payers money overseas. Any way I am sure the government cannot afford to lose 3.8 million votes for there party. Lets hope the courts can be trusted to come up with a solution.
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I only found out about the pension changes on the TV. Although they say people are living longer, we won’t if we have to do back breaking work. Yes are children know of the age increase and have prepared it. In the 50 60 and even early 70 we never had as many opportunitys we were led to believe we would have our state pension at the age of 60. The DWP are pushing women back into poverty they should be ashamed but they are not.
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