Mixed feelings about WASPI victory

[Fauxflowersnoflowers]

Early 40s here, so this doesn't as such directly affect me, but I've been intrigued by the story about the WASPI campaign and done a bit of reading around it and I'm still confused.

The changes apparently were in the public sphere since as early as 1995 and could have been known about. Many women were aware and did take financial steps to address the changes. The current case seems to centre around whether they should have been personally informed, not was the change fair.

WASPI just said on Women's Hour that they don't object to the equalisation of the pension age, but then callers were objecting to having to work longer and not getting a good retirement, so the two arguments seem to contradiction each other

Also, it seems misunderstood that a compensation payment would be a full reinbursement of the "lost" pension, from my reading it's more likely to be a fixed amount to recognise the fact they should have received a letter. Although again, it appears many did, just not everyone, so who gets the compensation? All of them or just some?

I suppose the other question is how do we pay this? Public services are already stretched badly, childcare costs are crippling and there is a bit of a worry for me that the funds to pay this are going to come out of other areas that will just make the loves of younger women harder and push their pension ages even further back, maybe into their 70s.

Feel really conflicted about it. On one hand kudos to the women for getting this far, but in the other it feels like a really clear example of the importance of properly understanding your own finances and educating yourself about your pension planning.

@KnittedCardi life expectancy is now falling.

The changes were accelerated purely on the basis of ideology, it was part and parcel of austerity. The number of people born in the 1950s didn’t magically increase after 1995 nor did life expectancy dramatically increase. It was politically motivated. Just like the child benefit means test and the benefit cap. The Tories are really skilled at divide and rule as this thread so clearly illustrates.

BIossomtoes · Today 10:44

Ahugga · Today 10:43

Most over 60s still voted conservative though. I didn't say they all did
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I don’t think 33% constitutes most - it certainly didn’t when I was last at school.

52% if you include ReformUk.

What you're seeing are the survivors, & the survivors who are fit , free & able to travel & protest. There will be plenty of others who can't do it, or aren't here any more.

SO TRUE!

What you're seeing are the survivors, & the survivors who are fit , free & able to travel & protest. There will be plenty of others who can't do it, or aren't here any more.

The people who least support you on here are probably nearly 60 themselves. I am in my late 50s and don't see why my taxes should be used to pay compensation to women who are in a better or same position as me and I certainly don't see why younger women who are actually in a worse position should do.

I agree about the survivors. I know women in this cohort who have died.

@Lostboys16

I'm not surprised at all in a country which offers absolutely no form of financial education to its citizens. Why are we leaving school at 16/18 with no basic knowledge of tax, pensions, assets etc.?

I agree, our education system hasn't been fit for purpose for a few decades, maybe right back to the destruction of the grammar/sec mod system and it's replacement with comps. Just hasn't moved with the times at all and is failing far too many people.

You talk as if they have survived some traumatic experience when in fact they are in a better position with regard to retirement than the people they think should feel sorry for them. Incredibly entitled.

People of all ages die. It isn't something that unique to women in "this cohort".

The apparent dislike and resentment by younger women towards older women is so depressing. Some of the posts are so misogynistic I seriously wonder if they are being written by men.
I am one of the WASPI women who experienced the most extreme acceleration in pension age. It felt very unfair but I just sucked it up. I am certainly not rich - I have no savings and just about get by - but I am not expecting compensation and I have already posted that, if there is money available - which I doubt - I would rather see it spent on childcare and early years education to benefit the next generations of mothers and children.
But I cannot understand why so many younger women seem to think my generation lived the life of Riley. Some things were better then for women, many things were worse. Some things are better now for women, some things are worse. Life has always been tougher for women, especially those trying to bring up families. I have massive sympathy and respect for younger women. But they also need to understand and respect the experience of older women who had their own problems.
We need to support each other.

Why doesn’t the government send out an annual publication with all the important information that affects our daily lives? How are you meant to keep up with everything that goes on? I don’t want to read a newspaper or watch the news every single day just in case. It’s ridiculous that things that affect us basically get consigned to a line item on the news and aren’t digested and communicated properly

I (WASPI woman) actually paid NI when I was 14-16yo, because I had a Saturday job in a local shop. I found it in my NI contributions list. Someone disputed the possibility of paying at 14, upthread.

@wombat15 No one is asking for people to feel sorry for them. It is about what is legal. And the courts agree the government was in the wrong.
I think the Horizon scandal took so long to hit the general public conscience because many of the people involved were reasonably well off. But if the government does something wrong to people, it does not matter if they are well off or in poverty, it is still wrong.

I can only suggest you go & find out.

I can see how easily it happened as well. The story you share illustrates how some people are not aware of what benefits/support they can get. There are many people like that (I've worked with them) and I can see how the acceleration of the law in 2011 could have passed them by.

I know that I am ageing. It's not a shock and I've the sense to plan sensibly taking that into account and not expecting the state to provide for my retirement. It isn't ageism though to recognise there are things within your control like being aware of current affairs.

There are plenty of my own age with a victim mentality and entitlement attitude too, who no doubt expect a decent retirement just based on NI contributions. The world is tough for women. Why make it harder by not taking accountability for yourself and then hanging your own irresponsibility on whatever characteristics you can (age, being a woman etc).

To be clear, expecting people to be accountable for themselves isn't ageism. I have many wonderful friends of all ages. Including WASPIs who are equally as frustrated at their entitled peers.

I swerve the dramatic eternal victims regardless of their age as well.

It's the mentality people dislike. Not women over 60 or their own mother's as you infer.

Maybe some do but my parents and pil provide no childcare for my children nor help in any way with the costs of it so i think this is a sweeping generalisation that would be untrue for most.

Sorry, that should have been for @Sunshinesamba21

Do you not consider that there will be women who cannot process and understand information like this? There are women who do work but who can't, because of an underlying disability, understand and process financial information. For them, this isn't about a victim mentality but a disability that makes their lives complicated and difficult to navigate.

I am a WASPI woman. I knew about the increased pension age in the 1990s but I don't recall it ever being mentioned again in the news until those born in 1950 started to retire later than 60. There must be a large number of women who did not know about the change. I do believe the Government should have written to all of us to ensure we were aware.
One thing that is unfair is that older WASPIs worked for 2 to 3 years longer but only get the old State Pension, which is much lower.
I don't believe the Government will pay any compensation. There's always issues with any Government changes, such as the change to Universal Credit and it won't change.

Sorry, there are plenty of jobs available. Im not one at all who complains that the elderly hog jobs nor housing. Although I could see why some people might be upset by the WASPI campaigner Ms R that someone referred to earlier who has been struggling in her expensive cottage with only the one additional rental property to her name.

Both sets of my grandparents worked well into retirement, infact one of my grandparents never really fully gave up work ever. This is obviously not for everyone but it gave them a quality of life they wouldnt have otherwise have afforded. They were extremely proud to work, they did not see it as a burden.

But you don’t include Reform, do you? Because it’s a completely different political party. It’s like including LibDem votes in the Labour voting intentions. Some people really are spoiling for an argument.

@Sunshinesamba21 There are jobs available, but it is not always easy to get them. I am disabled, luckily with good computer and literacy skills. But so many jobs I simply can not do. If my computer skills were not good it would be much harder to get a job. If you are able bodied, can drive, and reasonably fit there are lots of jobs.

@Horsewhisperers I agree it is unfair they get the lower old state pension rather than the higher new state pension.