THE UK Government has been called on to clarify the number of women affected by its pension changes after it was suggested almost 900,000 more will lose out than first thought.
The SNP seized on a freedom of information response from the Department of Work and Pensions by Peter Stefanovic, a campaigning lawyer, which said its estimate for the number of women born in the 1950s and living in Britain affected by the equalisation of the state pension age or the increase in the state pension age to 66 was 3.48 million.
But the Nationalists, which have been campaigning vigorously on the issue, noted how the previous figure was 2.6m; a difference of almost 900,000.
Ian Blackford, the SNP MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, said if the figure was accurate, then this was “absolutely outrageous” and demanded the UK Government provide clarity.
He added: “The Chancellor had an opportunity this week to right a wrong and deliver measures that would give these women their pensions that they have rightfully earned yet are unfairly denied.
“What the UK Government must realise is that pensions are a contract, not a benefit, and the Budget should have shown the UK Government living up to that contract.”
The Women Against State Pension Inequality or WASPI claims 2.5 million women in the UK are affected by the decision to equalise the state pension age. They argue many had very little notice that they would not get a pension at 60. They are calling for transitional arrangements for those affected.
In response to a WASPI petition the Government said: “The policy decision to increase women’s State Pension age is designed to remove the inequality between men and women. The cost of prolonging this inequality would be several billions of pounds. Parliament extensively debated the issue and listened to all arguments both for and against the acceleration of the timetable to remove this inequality. The decision was approved by Parliament in 2011 and there is no new evidence to consider.”
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