Shelagh Simmons and Carolyne Jacobs, Joint Coordinators for Solent WASPI Supporters’ Group, share this latest news from the campaign. Ed
Today, 2nd August 2017, the WASPI Campaign has welcomed the Institute for Fiscal Studies report on the female State Pension Age (SPA), household incomes and Government finances.
The IFS’ principal finding that increases to the female State Pension Age has already boosted the Government’s finances by £5.1bn per year, is particularly shocking when the fall in household incomes caused by the reform have pushed income poverty among 60 to 62-year-old women up sharply.
Women who are paying the price
Commenting on the report, WASPI Director, Jane Cowley said:
“Once again, this shows that the Government has implemented State Pension Age reforms without adequately considering the full impact of these changes on the women affected.
“Whether it is the 3.5 million WASPI women who were not given sufficient warning of rises to their State Pension Age, or the sharp rise in income poverty among 60 to 62-year-old women, the Government needs to sit up and start realising that its changes have devastating consequences on the women affected.
“Yet again, it is women who are paying the price for the Government’s pension reforms. This simply isn’t good enough when the UK already has one of the biggest pension pay gaps in Europe.”
Hampshire women affected
The Solent WASPI Supporters’ Group says that in Hampshire there are around 116,000 women and their families hit by these SPA changes. This includes around 10,000 in Portsmouth, 11,000 in Southampton and 9,500 on the Isle of Wight.
Find out more about Solent WASPI by visiting their Website.
