WASPI Campaign .... State Pensions

Mortgagefreeman

A splinter group from the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign has launched a petition on the government’s website calling for early state pension.

Waspi Voice, a group spun off from the original Waspi campaign, has launched a petition: ‘Implement optional early drawing of a reduced State Pension for the 1950s women’.

http://citywire.co.uk/new-model-adviser/news/waspi-splinter-group-calls-for-early-state-pension-in-govt-petition/a992374

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/185026

Needless to say this hasn't gone down very well with the original WASPI group. The enraged misfit Anne Keen and her equally nasty friend Sue's Beaver.

Pollycat

Jeez!
Not again.

The principle of early drawing of a reduced State Pension has been raised by the Pensions Select Committee and John Cridland (Interim Report Oct 2016).

I want it now!
I don't care how much it is but I want it now!
And I reserve the right to complain if I find I can't live on this reduced pension.
Oh!
And claim benefits too.

I wonder how many people have signed the petition without reading the 'more details' information about reduced State Pension.

Me?
I got caught by the original WASPI petition which I signed based on what the petition said and then discovered that it was very different to what their 'ask' was on Facebook.
Not this time, ladies.

Silvertabby

Pollycat - exactly. I really can't get my head round the fact the the original WASPI women think it's fair that a woman born on 31 December 1959 should get her State pension at 60 because 'she wasn't given long enough notification of the changes' yet a woman born just one day later on 1 January 1960 should be happy to wait until she is 66 'because she was given long enough notification of the changes'.

Pollycat

Silvertabby wrote: »

Pollycat - exactly. I really can't get my head round the fact the the original WASPI women think it's fair that a woman born on 31 December 1959 should get her State pension at 60 because 'she wasn't given long enough notification of the changes' yet a woman born just one day later on 1 January 1960 should be happy to wait until she is 66 'because she was given long enough notification of the changes'.

The scope of the first petition was poorly thought-out and this new one is no different.

I'd decline to sign it purely for that reason, even if I didn't have other objections, and I'm a 1953 woman.

jamesd

There is a two part solution for most women in this group.

A.

Let anyone borrow against their future state pension to take a reduced pension up to five years early, (measured by their Pension Credit entitlement age to be gender equal on age) repayable over ten years plus twice the difference between PC and SPA from State Pension Age. Mandatory conditions to avoid people abusing it would need to be:

1. Medical check to verify that you have no expectation of dying in that time. Else those with reduced life expectancy or fatal diagnosis would do it.
2. Agree not to claim means tested benefits during that time, or to have the loan repayments counted as notional income in working out entitlement. Else those who would get means tested benefits aren't getting paid a loan, they are getting free money.
3. Cost set to allow for the expected death rate of those in similar health to the individual, taking into account at least the major reducers of life expectancy. Else those in worse health get a better deal than others, producing strong selection bias that raises the cost.
4. Priority debt to be repaid out of the estate of the deceased ahead of other non-governmental debts.

B.

There's a big difference between working age means tested benefits and the state pension. Let those within five years of SPA borrow from their future state pension to add up to £30 a week, repayable over ten years, the extra not counting for benefits means tests before Pension Credit age, which is the state pension age for women.

Same conditions as A, to prevent abuse and exploitation. In addition the repayments to be deducted from Pension Credit if that is claimed, but counted as notional income anyway.

The effect of these is intended to be a genuinely cost neutral, at an individual level as far as possible, way to smooth out the transition from work to state pension.

OldBeanz

Presumably we would have to give 10 years notice before implementing this scheme as it was not in women's expectations in the late 1960's? Who is going to go round the country and make the announcement? While there are bell ringers in many towns there is no guarantee that all women would be guaranteed to be told which cannot be fair. I am out .

jamesd

Don't forget to tell the men as well, "anyone" includes them.

Mortgagefreeman

http://waspi.co.uk/meet-the-team

I've just googled Legal Director Susan Beevers:eek:

Where do they get these people from?

jamesd

It could be an entirely different one, you know. The history of the one you probably found would hardly seem to be suitable background for a person taking a legal role and it's pretty routine to check these days.

bigadaj

Seems like a general hr bod?