THE HORNDEAN co-ordinator of a pressure group fighting for pension equality has walked out of a House of Commons debate in frustration with the Government’s “lack of action”.
Dr Carolyne Jacobs was one of several members of the Solent Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) group who turned their backs on Pensions Minister Guy Opperman during a December trip to Westminster.
The group is fighting for 3.8 million women who may be adversely affected by changes to the State Pension Age (SPA).
The Government raised the SPA for women in 1995 before accelerating the increase in 2011, but WASPI has argued that the speed and lack of notice has left many women born during the 1950s with no time to make financial arrangements.
The debate which Dr Jacobs attended with dozens of other WASPI members from across the UK was proposed by Labour MP Grahame Morris, and took place in the main House of Commons chamber. The MP for Eastleigh, Mims Davies, paid tribute to the Solent WASPI women as they also presented a petition in Parliament.
MPs spoke of constituents who have been forced to use foodbanks or sell their homes to make ends meet, but Mr Opperman did not deviate from the Government line, frustrating the visitors in the public gallery.
In the end, the WASPI members turned their backs on the minister before walking out. “Sometimes it is difficult not to show frustration with a government that will not listen to, or address, the plight of 3.8 million 1950s-born women in this country,” said Dr Jacobs and Shelagh Simmons, joint co-ordinators of the Solent group.
“We would not normally take this sort of action but we felt the group had little option but to make our point in this very visible way.
“They were promised, and expected, their state pension when they reached 60 only for the Government to move the goalposts with little or no warning.
“We say again – this is not a party political issue, it is a fairness and justice issue and it must be put right.”