Emma has joined MPs from across the House of Commons to form a new Parliamentary group on the State Pension Age. The new group will support those women hit by the equalisation and acceleration of the State Pension Age, first in 1995 and then in 2011.
In South Shields, according to the independent House of Commons Library, around 3,850 women are directly affected by the 2011 Pensions Act alone. 287 local residents signed the e-petition calling for transitional arrangements, which received almost 200,000 signatures nationwide.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign works to lobby the Government to introduce transitional arrangements for those women affected, many of whom were not notified about the changes, and took early retirement, leaving them without any income.
The Parliamentary Group, which was launched at the Palace of Westminster on Wednesday 11th May at a standing room only meeting, will be co-chaired by MPs from each of the parties, and will work closely with the WASPI campaign.
The All-Party Group will seek to work with the new Work and Pensions Secretary, Stephen Crabb, to introduce transitional arrangements.
Speaking at the launch of the new campaign group, Emma said:
“Accelerating the pension age is nothing more than a money grab by the Chancellor, robbing women born in the 1950s of £30 billion. We will fight to get the best outcome for these women, many of whom have worked hard for decades without taking a penny out of the system.
It is outrageous that the Government are steadfastly refusing to create transitional measures to help women born in the 1950s, many of whom have had to tear up their retirement plans and are now left struggling to make ends meet after their financial plans were thrown into disarray.
Millions of women affected were never told of these changes, leaving them no choice but to sell their family homes, use all of their savings or re-enter the employment market to ensure they can survive until they receive their state pensions.
I am therefore proud to be a founding member of this new Parliamentary campaign group. I hope that the new Work and Pensions Secretary will be listen to our concerns and act accordingly so that we will soon have the equitable outcome that the WASPI women deserve.”