State pension age campaigners visit No 10

On 12 September a delegation of six campaigners delivered a giant postcard to Prime Minister, David Cameron, urging him not to increase the women’s state pension age beyond 65 until 2020.

Proposals in the Pensions Bill – soon to receive its final reading in Parliament - will see thousands of women forced to wait an extra two years for their state pension with less than seven years notice to plan for the change. Age UK is warning that this doesn’t leave enough time to plan for a later state pension age and will cause hardship for many.  

The new bill means that 330,000 women born between December 1953 and October 1954 will have to wait up to 2 years longer for their state pension. These women will also lose an average of £10,000 as a result.

Work and Pensions Minister, Iain Duncan Smith, promised in Parliament that the Government would consider changes to the Pensions Bill to at least reduce the impact of the speed up. We are awaiting details.

Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director at Age UK said: “This is the Government’s last chance to do the right thing by thousands of hard-working women up and down the country who are being penalised by the Pensions Bill.

"We are simply asking them to stick to their original pledge not to raise the state pension age before 2020 for women.

“The battle on this issue is not over. MPs across all the political parties recognise the unfairness of these changes. By contacting your MP now you can still make a difference and persuade the Government to change its mind.”