On the go: Campaign group BackTo60 headed to the High Court on Wednesday for a judicial review into how the government implemented the state pension age rise for women.
Millions of women born in the 1950s may have been pushed into financial hardship after being left unable to adequately plan for their retirement, the campaigners said. They allege the changes were implemented too quickly and inadequately communicated.
The Pensions Act 2011 accelerated plans, outlined in the Pensions Act 1995, to equalise the retirement age for men and women. For women, the retirement age rose to 63 from 60 in 2016, and again to 65 from 63 in 2018. The state pension age for both men and women is set to rise again to 66 in 2020.
Women born in the 1950s had their state pensions “deferred twice by stealth... under the false premise of equality and longevity”, a statement from BackTo60’s website read.
Thousands of women across the UK have had their retirement plans annihilated. Their mental and physical well being has been very negatively affected
BackTo60
It continued: “Thousands of women across the UK have had their retirement plans annihilated. Their mental and physical well being has been very negatively affected.”
BackTo60 are not contesting the principle behind retirement age equality, but rather the government’s speed and communication when implementing the policy.
The group claimed thousands of women born in the 1950s were not reached by government channels of communication, despite the Department for Work and Pensions running an awareness campaign, leaving them unprepared for remaining in the workplace.
They argued the DWP, seeking to cut costs, “grotesquely disadvantaged” thousands of women.
The DWP said it could not comment on active legal proceedings.
BackTo60 hoped the judicial review, expected to last two days, will result in repayment of pensions money to women born in the 1950s, on the basis of the previous retirement age of 60.
Yvette Greenway, CEO of SOS Silence of Suicide, BackTo60’s charity partner, said day one of the hearing exposed “the government's attempts to ensure gender pension equality through unfair, unequal and discriminatory implementation”.
SPA is not a benefit, it is an earned due, paid for by these women for decades
Yvette Greenway, SOS Silence of Suicide
She added: “State pension is something these women relied on when they retired. They allowed national insurance deductions from their salaries safe in the knowledge they would have an income in later years. SPA is not a benefit, it is an earned due, paid for by these women for decades,” she said.
The collective psychological impact of the government’s rushed changes have been catastrophic, Ms Greenway said. Research conducted by SOS Silence of Suicide last year found that, from a survey of 1,330 affected women, 15 per cent had engaged in self harm and 8 per cent had attempted to take their own lives.
Ms Greenway said: “The results make disturbing reading – self harm, feelings of suicide, and attempted suicides are shockingly prevalent.”
But she expressed optimism for BackTo60’s campaign following a positive response. “For once, people are listening, understanding, empathising and supporting."
She added: "We are certain their unified strength, dignity and persistence will ensure the judges give this application the due consideration it merits."
