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WASPI Women must be treated fairly says Angus MacNeil SNP

Angus MacNeil SNP Na h-Eileanan an Iar fully supports the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign in their efforts to secure fairness for women affected by the acceleration in the retirement age – up to 1900 women in Na h-Eileanan an Iar alone.

SNP-commissioned research found that it would cost £8 billion to reverse the 2011 changes and give WASPI women more time to prepare – significantly less than the £30 billion suggested by the UK Government.

Commenting Angus MacNeil said:

“Due to the UK Government’s shambolic handling of the process these women have not been given reasonable time to prepare for retirement. This is a gross injustice.  Pensions are not a privilege, they are a contract and the UK Government has broken that contract.

“Sadly this is one area that the Scottish Government cannot do anything about – pensions are fully reserved to Westminster and the Scotland Act 2016 explicitly prevents the Scottish Parliament from creating new pension benefits. Neither can the power to top-up benefits be used because WASPI women are not yet in receipt of a pension.

 “It is right that in their Manifesto the SNP pledges support for the WASPI campaign and that SNP MPs will continue to call on the UK Government to take responsibility, deliver the pension that women born in the 1950s deserve and end this inequality.”

ENDS