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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

OP posts:
hellywelly3 · 14/05/2026 01:01

My mum was born in 1954 so she was one of the ones it effected with short notice. But said she could never understand why women got to retire earlier anyway. Especially when women live longer

MrThorpeHazell · 14/05/2026 01:13

hellywelly3 · 14/05/2026 01:01

My mum was born in 1954 so she was one of the ones it effected with short notice. But said she could never understand why women got to retire earlier anyway. Especially when women live longer

Originally men and women both got the State pension at 70.

After the Second World War the decision was taken to reduce the age to 65. At the time, generally speaking, men were 5 years older than their wives, so someone had the idea that if women got their pension at 60 it meant a married couple would both retire in the same tax year which would, it was thought, make tax collection easier.

Peakyblinder18 · 14/05/2026 01:24

In this country it's shocking how many women, and men didn't know about the new pension legislation and were ill-prepared.
Just like many women or men didn't know about the equal rights legislation.
So for you younger and you "more aware" disbelievers in the waspi campaign, it'll be you one day.

InterestedDad37 · 14/05/2026 01:25

MrThorpeHazell · 14/05/2026 01:13

Originally men and women both got the State pension at 70.

After the Second World War the decision was taken to reduce the age to 65. At the time, generally speaking, men were 5 years older than their wives, so someone had the idea that if women got their pension at 60 it meant a married couple would both retire in the same tax year which would, it was thought, make tax collection easier.

Edited

(deleted - ignore)

Okiedokie123 · 14/05/2026 01:35

One of the people in the OP @Jane379 photo looks suspicious to me! Sincere apologies if I’m wrong.
I’ll to work until I’m 67. I think the Waspis should quit moaning tbh. I’m confused at how it’s unfair on them but fine for those of us who were younger. Especially bearing in mind all the positives they had by being baby boomers.

LameBorzoi · 14/05/2026 01:36

We are already facing an affordability crisis for our younger generations due to an ageing population. Government funded early retirement only worsens this.

HelenaWaiting · 14/05/2026 01:40

odddsoxs · 13/05/2026 22:04

Well, how would you feel if you'd had tens of thousands of pounds stolen from your expected government pension, AND being made to work and extra seven years into the bargain.
Don't forget, we waspis paid towards our government pension for the whole of our working life, and it was all many of us had to keep us through our retirement, as many of us didn't for whatever reason, or couldn't afford to pay into a private pension too

Okay, maybe you could clarify this for me? I was born in October 1960, so six months outside the WASPI time-frame. How was I better informed than any of you lot because I knew for years?

Vivienne1000 · 14/05/2026 03:05

odddsoxs · 13/05/2026 22:04

Well, how would you feel if you'd had tens of thousands of pounds stolen from your expected government pension, AND being made to work and extra seven years into the bargain.
Don't forget, we waspis paid towards our government pension for the whole of our working life, and it was all many of us had to keep us through our retirement, as many of us didn't for whatever reason, or couldn't afford to pay into a private pension too

The act came out in 1995. Letters were sent to every woman who would be affected.
I was born in the 60s and my retirement age is 67. You are very lucky.

Witchonenowbob · 14/05/2026 04:13

NewGirlInTown · 13/05/2026 23:16

How about the money coming from the billion pound migrant budget?
Let’s import thousands of men who have entirely different cultural norms from our own and pay for their accommodation, food etc, instead of taking care of our own citizens who have paid into the pot for decades?

Embarrassing 🤦‍♀️

Flymehomejeff · 14/05/2026 04:59

My problem with it is that I think most of these women hadn't done properly pension planning and suddenly couldn't afford to retire. Most people, sadly, do not plan for retirement as they should.
Also, how did they not know about this? I did and it doesn't impact me in the slightest.

ShouldIJustKeepQuiet · 14/05/2026 05:42

NewGirlInTown · 13/05/2026 23:16

How about the money coming from the billion pound migrant budget?
Let’s import thousands of men who have entirely different cultural norms from our own and pay for their accommodation, food etc, instead of taking care of our own citizens who have paid into the pot for decades?

But according to my local councillor they can use that money to fix all the potholes in (or is it on) the uk road network so the waspi women can’t have it too can they?

SnipItScrapBook · 14/05/2026 05:44

Yanbu. It's embarrassing as a woman.

Sweetbeansandmochi · 14/05/2026 05:55

I knew about it at the time because I was about 16. I also remember commentators at the time ‘warning us’ that the age would increase and probably be no state pension by the time I would retire.

In addition, when new pension legislation came in 2008, the same messaging was reiterated about rising pension ages and no state pension.

So, it is hard to understand people not knowing.

MikeRafone · 14/05/2026 06:12

If your retirement was moved 7 years, you’re not a waspi woman.

it was woman who had unequal pay, couldn’t have a right to maternity, didn’t have equal access to a work place pension - couldn’t have one if married or worked part time ( which many woman did work part time) this was the case through till changes in 1990s for the latter.

its not just a case of knowing but a case of being able to change the out come when legally you’d been prevented from doing so for many years previously

MikeRafone · 14/05/2026 06:18

Flymehomejeff · 14/05/2026 04:59

My problem with it is that I think most of these women hadn't done properly pension planning and suddenly couldn't afford to retire. Most people, sadly, do not plan for retirement as they should.
Also, how did they not know about this? I did and it doesn't impact me in the slightest.

so they could be barred from having a work place pension as they were female not male, but when the rules changed they should have planned their retirement differently 🤷‍♀️

ToffeeCrabApple · 14/05/2026 06:27

My mum is this age and her sister is the age where it very suddenly got delayed.

They both think the waspi women are awful and really selfish not considering the impact demands for compensation will have on younger people.

My mum said to have not known you had to have had a bucket on your head for years and had no friends. Even I knew about it and I was only about 12.

JacknDiane · 14/05/2026 06:31

MikeRafone · 14/05/2026 06:18

so they could be barred from having a work place pension as they were female not male, but when the rules changed they should have planned their retirement differently 🤷‍♀️

If these women were barred from having a workplace pension, couldn't they have taken out a private one?

MrsMurphyIWish · 14/05/2026 06:33

I was born late ‘78 so my state pension age is 68! I’m just crossing my fingers that we can get to 2028 without a new rise as I’m not sure I can work until 68 let alone beyond that. I’m also sure any school I’m employed at by that age will definitely be on the look out to get rid of me!

Anyway, I digress, sort of but the same argument is “I had to work another 7 years” and I worked since X years of ago”. Well, some of us also went into work thinking we could retire at 60, now it’s 68 and we also started work at 15!

Also, if I was a campaigner I would be feel shame knowing the legacy I would be leaving future generations. I see myself as lucky being born in ‘90s and as a council estate kid, having free uni tuition and able to get on the housing market at 24. I feel guilty looking at my own children and knowing that may not be as easily accessible for them.

Sorry - that turned into a bit of a rant!

CossyBunt · 14/05/2026 06:36

We need to focus on our young people, the WASPI campaign is not a priority. Our young people are coming of age in a world where jobs are thin on the ground, housing costs are punitive and there is an atmosphere of despair. We must invest in our youth.

It was their responsibility to plan for their retirements. Why did this take them by surprise? They are probably sitting on huge asset wealth through their homes and other investments. It’s crass in this current economic climate to keep campaigning about this.

Spottyvases · 14/05/2026 06:38

Viviennemary · 13/05/2026 22:06

They'll get nowhere. Men got a far worse deal. Shorter life expectancy yet had to work 5 years longer. I wish they would quit moaning,

Completely agree. I'm getting the State Pension at 67 and just have to Suck It Up. No compensation whatsoever was ever on the cards here.

MrsMurphyIWish · 14/05/2026 06:49

MrsMurphyIWish · 14/05/2026 06:33

I was born late ‘78 so my state pension age is 68! I’m just crossing my fingers that we can get to 2028 without a new rise as I’m not sure I can work until 68 let alone beyond that. I’m also sure any school I’m employed at by that age will definitely be on the look out to get rid of me!

Anyway, I digress, sort of but the same argument is “I had to work another 7 years” and I worked since X years of ago”. Well, some of us also went into work thinking we could retire at 60, now it’s 68 and we also started work at 15!

Also, if I was a campaigner I would be feel shame knowing the legacy I would be leaving future generations. I see myself as lucky being born in ‘90s and as a council estate kid, having free uni tuition and able to get on the housing market at 24. I feel guilty looking at my own children and knowing that may not be as easily accessible for them.

Sorry - that turned into a bit of a rant!

Edited

Tried to edit - obviously wasn’t born in the ‘90s. Meant going into the world of work in the ‘90s!

Onefairfish · 14/05/2026 06:59

I’m in that age group. I was certainly aware of the change and could see the need for it. I appreciate that some people were surprised, but we do have a basic responsibility to understand our own circumstances, and it was definitely in the news.

milveycrohn · 14/05/2026 06:59

I'm a waspi woman, but have never been part of any campaign, as I know the Gov will not pay up.
I was informed about the change, so cannot argue I was not informed.
However, it shoud be noted that we had 2 changes in retirement date, and this second change happened with only 5 years notice. (I still have the DWP letters).
This compares to MPs, when they had changes, 5 years was considered too little notice to make other arrangements.
As people have also noted, the women affected were born in the 1950s when personal pensions did not exist. This change only happened in 1988 under Thatcher (the idea being that a personal pension could be transported from job to job).
Many women from that time, did not have work place pensions either.

BadSkiingMum · 14/05/2026 07:00

I don’t get this either. I remember it being announced on the radio in the mid nineties, likely 1995 - I was in my late teens but can easily date this due to the house that I was living in at the time. Then there have been regular features in the press ever since. All the newspapers at the time carried financial pages, if you didn’t ever read them, or even glance at them from time to time, then that’s your lookout! My parents took a weekend broadsheet which I would read, including the money pages, but some of the tabloid papers were very cheap to buy at the time. Even the Daily Mail had, and still has, comprehensive money pages.

I would urge any young woman to keep informed about what is going on in the world of money and personal finance, as it directly affects them.

Laurmolonlabe · 14/05/2026 07:11

I find it very hard to understand why a woman would be exasperated by this campaign- we are diadvataged by government and the law still- all hail to anyone who has the energy to fight it.