News on 1950s women’s Pension

[Immaculatemisconception]

Women's state pension: Compensation closer for Waspi campaigners www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57900320

What generation that voted for Brexit?

I know no one who did this.

[quote tealappeal]@korawick12345 My mother was classed as an older mother at age 31 in 1975, so that doesn't fit with what you've read. Even if that was the official definition, it doesn't reflect what was actually happening at the time.[/quote]
See my last post

@korawick12345 - I was classed as an elderly prima gravida aged 25 in the late 70s.

[quote Knittedfairies]@korawick12345 - I was classed as an elderly prima gravida aged 25 in the late 70s.[/quote]
Again see my post above. Not terribly unusual

None of this is remotely relevant though!

I got married in 1984. When I applied for a new UK passport in my married name one of the questions on the form was - Are you a married woman applying for a passport in your own right? No similar question for married men! I can still remember how cross I was - I had got married, not given up any rights.

@korawick12345

TBF i find its hard to get on the side of people who will have a far greater pension entitlement than I ever will and SOME of whom also benefitted from things such as free university education, massive house price inflation etc. Most younger people I know have taken the default position that we expect there will be no pension to speak of by the time we get to that age.

This.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

What generation that voted for Brexit?

I know no one who did this.

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2016/06/27/how-britain-voted

But the leave/remain vote was also about education levels too.

I struggle to get on board with this one to be honest.

I am one of the women whose pension age changed and have schoolfriends who are actively campaigning for this but I have never had a decent explanation from them how they claim we didn't know as we all did! It was widely publicised on tv and in newspapers for some time before it took place and was widely discussed among our friends
I'm intrigued also to know why this is always referred to as being for women born in the 1950s. Half of my school year were born in 1959 and half in 1960 so it is not just 1950s affected.
To those women claiming we had it so hard, yes, life was different and we did undoubtedly face difficulties but, on the whole, I think the young now have it far harder. Our generation is, on the whole, far more comfortably off than most of the younger generations can expect to be

@Cariieblue Most people born in the 1950s (who this pension change affects) don't fall into the over 65's category. The referendum was in 2016. So only those born in 1950 and part of 51 fell into this category.

Most younger people I know have taken the default position that we expect there will be no pension to speak of by the time we get to that age.

My pension is £139 a week (retired just before higher flat-rate kicked in). That's not much of a 'pension to speak of' is it?

I'm one of the women affected. Personally, I don't need the money, and can understand why younger people don't think we should be compensated. But I have two excellent pensions from my work, and receiving the state pension this year means I can live very well. Many women of my age didn't work, didn't go to university, didn't get decent pensions and have been treated very badly for many years. They do need the money. If we are all compensated, mine will go towards my children's retirement in the hope they will be able to stop working at a reasonable age. They are both young enough to be affected by the raising of the retirement age to 70. To my mind, that is obscene and that's what we should all be fighting against together. If WASPI win their case, it does open the door to other groups fighting back. Not holding my breath though!

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow

But the leave/remain vote was also about education levels too.

True. lower levels of education more likely to vote for brexit and according to this thread women all left school at 15 with no qualifications therefore putting them firmly in the brexit camp again. Can’t have it both ways!

@korawick12345

No one is saying that women didn’t have a more challenging time in the past but they also benefited as a generation in some ways. Overall I don’t see that they should be compensated for failing to make adequate plans for something that was public knowledge.

This.

And none of these women ever say what they would - or could - have done differently if they had taken notice of the many news articles that made it perfectly clear what was happening to pension age

@MyDcAreMarvel

This was known in the 90’s , no personal letters were needed. Waspis still got their pensions young compared to other generations. They also how much lower house prices and could afford to live on one income. Time to stop being grabby and move on.

Lots of us 1950s women could live on one wage. My husband didn't earn enough for sure.

Personally I feel the first change was OK and I knew about it, it was the second change that was very sudden for some women.

Couldn't live on one wage.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow
I was refused a mortgage in 1995 as l was working 4 days a week with no husband to help me. Even though l was warning enough to cover the payments. Part time employees (usually woman ) weren’t allowed mortgages without a second signature.

I was given a mortgage in 1994 as a single parent working part time. No second signature or husband needed. There must have been another reason why you didn't get one.

I have lots of friends who will benefit from a waspi ruling. They all knew about the changes being made to pensions as did I, it was common knowledge. The whole waspi thing is based on greed and it stinks.

Yeah, I have had mixed feelings too. I had a letter in about 1995 telling me I would not get my pension until I was 62 years and x months. I was working, so I assume that HMRC /DWP had an address for me, and maybe thats why others didn't get their letters.
It was the overnight change from that to 65 in 2010 which surprised me, it took me a while to realise that I would be affected.

True. lower levels of education more likely to vote for brexit and according to this thread women all left school at 15 with no qualifications therefore putting them firmly in the brexit camp again. Can’t have it both ways!

I left school at 15 with no qualifications but I defnitely was never in the brexit camp. I don't know anyone round my age who was in the brexit camp. The people I know who did support brexit were in their 40s/50s.

@heyday
Yes, when I left school and started work when I was 15 I did think I'd be able to get my pension at 60 but now it's 67 and that's the way it is. I'm not expecting to be given a massive lump sum just because I don't like it.

Leaving school at 15 didn't mean you didn't have any qualifications

The evidence shows there was plenty of notice about the change in pension entitlement. No reason these women should receive any more favourable pension treatment than they are already receiving. There were disadvantages to their generation but advantages too, as many have said.

I left school at 15 with no qualifications but I defnitely was never in the brexit camp. I don't know anyone round my age who was in the brexit camp. The people I know who did support brexit were in their 40s/50s.

And yet the national data says otherwise.

@RainingYetAgain

Yeah, I have had mixed feelings too. I had a letter in about 1995 telling me I would not get my pension until I was 62 years and x months. I was working, so I assume that HMRC /DWP had an address for me, and maybe thats why others didn't get their letters. It was the overnight change from that to 65 in 2010 which surprised me, it took me a while to realise that I would be affected.

I never got a letter, not sure why, but I knew about it as a ran a payroll so got all that sort of govt information at work. I'm pretty sure I heard it in the media as well. People have said to me I must have got the letter but as it was connected to my work (I was advising other women and pay, conditions, pensions) I would definitely know if I'd got it. I know I eventually got a letter but it was years later.

I'd budgeted so I could retire at 60 as my husband was older than me but couldn't manage the extra 18 months.

The second change was a shock. I was due to retire at 63.5 and retired at just 65. If I'd been a day older I would have retired earlier, I think it was 3 months. Now that was a smack in the face.