Women take their pension campaign to the capital
The Solent branch of Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) yesterday journeyed to the capital in an old-fashioned London double-decker they dubbed the ‘pensions battle bus’.
As part of their crusade the women circled Parliament Square sounding whistles and trumpets before stopping off at the newly-installed Millicent Fawcett statue to display posters, as well as Downing Street and the Department for Work and Pensions.
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Hide AdWaspi, which has branches across the UK, is asking for fair transitional payments for women born in the 1950s who have been affected by increases to the state pension age. The group is specifically concerned about how many women were unaware of the changes and the impact of them.
One of the Solent group’s co-ordinators, Carolyne Jacobs, was pleased with the response they received. She said: ‘While in London we spoke to several people there who knew who we were and what we were doing. A lot of people said it has affected them too.
‘We just wanted to increase awareness and we certainly did that.’
While there the group met Portsmouth South MP and Portsmouth city councillor Stephen Morgan. Carolyne, from Horndean, added: ‘Stephen came to meet us at the Millicent Fawcett statue. He has been excellent and really supportive.’
Mr Morgan said: ‘After a lifetime of paying in and putting aside for their retirement, Waspi women have been betrayed by the government.