Plaid AM backs pension cause of 26,000 women in South West Wales

Plaid AM Dai Lloyd is backing the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) National Day of Action (Friday, May 26th 2017), and has revealed that around 26,000 women are affected in South West Wales.

WASPI is a campaign group that is fighting the injustice done to all women born in the 1950s affected by the changes to the State Pension Law.

The 1995 Conservative Government’s Pension Act included plans to increase women’s SPA (State Pension Age) to 65, the same as men’s.

WASPI agrees with equalisation, but does not agree with the unfair way the changes were implemented – with little or no personal notice, faster than promised, and no time to make alternative plans.

House of Common estimates show that around 11,000 women in the City and County of Swansea, 7,000 in Neath Port Talbot, and 8,000 in the area of Llanelli and Carmarthen East and Dinefwr are affected. 139,000 women are affected across Wales.

Dr. Lloyd stated:

“The UK Government has an awful track record when it comes to increasing the state pension age, which has had significant consequences on retirement plans. Plaid Cymru has, and will continue to support the WASPI campaign, fighting the injustice done to all women born in the 1950s affected by the changes to the State Pension Law.

“It is not right that 2.6 million women have had their state pension age delayed - in some cases twice, and by up to six years in total - without proper notice, leaving them no time to prepare adequately for their later retirement date.

“Of course we appreciate that people are living longer. However, a generation of people were promised that they would be able to retire at a certain age. The Tories are undermining that promise and breaking that social contract.

“The UK Conservative Government needs to put in place a fair, transitional pension arrangement for all women born in the 1950s.

“Plaid Cymru will not support any increase in the state pension retirement age until we are certain that the system delivers for older people from every background.”