The Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification. Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little or no personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age.
Many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment. Women born in this decade are suffering financially. These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60. It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute - it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time. The issue is that the rise in the women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.
The Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.”
Minutes:
Councillor Mrs Henson, seconded by Councillor Newby moved a Notice of Motion, proposed by Councillor Baldwin, in the following terms:-
“The Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification. Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little or no personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age.
Many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment. Women born in this decade are suffering financially. These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60. It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute - it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time. The issue is that the rise in the women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.
The Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.”
In presenting the Notice of Motion, Councillor Mrs Henson highlighted that, already, many woman, born in the 1950’s, were living in hardship, a lot of whom had looked after their children and elderly relatives and they were not being treated as equal. There was a lack of notice and not enough time to plan for these changes as many of the affected women were not notified of the rise in the pension age for nearly 14 years after the law was passed in 1995. For many of these women, there was no other source of income. Councillor Mrs Henson asked Members to support the motion.
During discussion the following points were raised:-
· the changes in the pension affected many women who had given up their career to look after their children and were now caring for their grandchildren and elderly parents
· this was an inequality that was having a real impact on some women
· there was a lack of notification of this change; some women having as little as one year’s notice
· these changed were unfair and disproportionate.
The Leader supported this motion and stated that the Council would send this motion to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
This was supported by the Members.
The Notice of Motion, with the additional recommedation that it be sent to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition was put to the vote and carried unanimously.