Stockport’s Labour administration has ensured that Stockport’s Council policy is supportive of the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign.
At the Council meeting of the 5th April, Labour Councillor Yvonne Guariento proposed a motion to council which calls upon Government to make fair transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1950. These women have been caught by the Governments extended pensionable age, but experienced little notification of this significant change in their pension.
Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little personal notification of the changes, and therefore little chance to object or adapt for these changes. Some of these women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age.
As the motion points out – many of these women are already out of the workforce, caring for relatives, providing childcare, and may struggle to find reemployment covering this time period in the circumstances. The motion was passed with agreement from across the Council chamber.
Speaking about the motion, Cllr Guariento said:
“These women have paid into the system under the understanding they would be supported by the system from a certain age. The government has effectively pulled this rug from under them, without allowing the due notice to make the significant changes needed to their life plans.
“Because of this, many women will experience financial hardship despite paying into the system for many years. This policy appears to have been brought forward with little thought for those affected.”
Cllr Wendy Wild added:
“What this motion calls for is action from government to make good this wrong, and put in place adequate transitional arrangements which mean no-one goes without when they have payed in.
“I am pleased to see this pass through the Council and pleased to be a part of a Labour Cabinet grasping this important issue.”
The motion also recognised efforts at GMCA level to introduce local travel concessions for women in Greater Manchester born between October 1953 and November 1954 from April 2018.
Speeches on the motion are available to watch on the Council Webcast under item 7.e. here: https://stockport.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/345307/start_time/120000