Transgender Derry woman settles pension case

[EweSurname]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-48914506

Frances did not start her transition until she turned 60.

"I had more than enough contributions to claim my state pension as a woman and I did not see why I could not claim it at the same age as every other woman," she said,

She approached the Human Rights Commission to help fight her case.

"As transgender individuals we are not looking for additional rights or anything more favourable than anybody else in society," she said.

"However it is very, very important that those rights that we do have are enforced. For me it is not enough to be tolerated.

"I want to be accepted and respected in the same way as you would expect."

Why is pension start date dictated by sex? That's ridiculous.

It is Utterlyunimaginative but women born in the early 1950s we’re entitled to receive their state pension earlier than men. Men and women’s pensionable age was equalised in a tapered way. The WASPI women are angry because they do not feel they were given notice of this change.

Totally agree about the contrast in treatment but did anyone else notice that in Northern Ireland you have to be divorced before getting a GRC? Another example where legislation differs from the rest of the UK.

What bullshit.

My mum has been screwed as a 50s woman by well over £30k.

Totally agree about the contrast in treatment but did anyone else notice that in Northern Ireland you have to be divorced before getting a GRC? Another example where legislation differs from the rest of the UK.

I'm only guessing here, but I assume that's to circumnavigate the same sex marriage laws. If a man gets a GRC whilst married to a woman, in the eyes of the law then that's two "women" married. With a GRC a male to female transitioner could then marry a man and it would be classed as a "woman"/man.

But of course GRCs are not rooted in homophobia, not in the slightest.

*"woman"/man marriage, I meant to say.

Thanks Flapsmagazine. That makes ‘sense’ in the context.