WASPI: Labour Party Listening..but Not Hearing!

The recent announcement at the Labour Party Conference has gone down like a lead balloon with many of the WASPI ladies – and rightly so!

That's not to say that we don't appreciated the fact that at least someone is listening to our voices..all of them are agreed that something must be done, but to offer SOME of us the “opportunity” to take a reduced pension (for life!) from age 64 quite simply DOES NOT address the issues.

There will be a number of women, most of whom are living in dire circumstances and dependent on their relatives and food banks to make ends meet who will be sorely tempted to seize this with both hands if Labour get into government, whenever that may be. To do so would be to condemn themselves to a life of poverty and misery for an average of 22 years. They will simply not have enough to live on and many, I'm afraid, will not survive.

When we spoke with Jeremy Corbyn at a recent event in Cleveleys he appeared to be listening to us and took copious notes during our conversations, assuring us that the Labour Party would redress the balance and put right the wrongs of the Tories. Pension Credit from age 60 would go a long way to resolve our problems and I am sure thst many more women would be happy to settle for that.

However, the aims of the WASPI Campaign are to secure “fair transitional pension arrangements for ALL women affected by the rises in State Pension Age”.

The only acceptable solution, in my opinion, is Pension Credit, backdated to age 60 and compensation for all losses sustained in the meantime. The Tories are intending to steal up to £48,000 off every WASPI over the next few years and the Labour Party's offer of a pension from age 64 is a slap in the face for all of us.

Jeremy, please check your notebook and show us that you were not only listening to us...but that you were actually HEARING us! For the MANY, NOT the few!