Women lose landmark legal fight against state pension age rise - MSE News

colsten

Pollycat wrote: »

I don't think you were affected by the later (2010) Act.

Just for correctness: there wasn't a 2010 Pensions Act. There was a 2011 one though, which added up to 18 months to the SPAs or 1950s women.

Another Act which affected some 1950s women was the 2007 one, which for the first time legislated for a state pension age higher than 65.

So we had 1995, 2007 and 2011 which affected the 1950s women, as well as those 1950s men who were unfortunate enough to have to apply for Pension Credit (PC). PC age went up 100% in line with the female state pension age. None of the campaigners ever mentioned this - they'd rather see 1956 born Theresa May get a full state pension from age 60 than the poorest of the men their age to get more than ESA or JSA. Heartless, uncaring witches, if you ask me!!

For completeness: there is also a 2014 Pensions Act which accelerated some of the increases first legislated for in 2007. None of these affect anyone born in the 1950s, it's 'only' people born from the 60s onwards. About whom the WASPI couldn't care less, either, as the only thing they are interested in is themselves.

colsten

grnglide wrote: »

If people were in a DB scheme the data was sent to the scheme and they consolidated it into their annual notification (a Combined Pension Forecast) otherwise it was sent directly to the punter (an Automatic Pension Forecast). This operation was run by the Future Pension Centre although it probably wasn't called that then.

Yep, I had Combined Pension Forecasts, part of my annual works pension statement, in 2004 and 2005. For questions, it referred me to a DWP Combined Pensions Forecast Contact Centre. The forecast showed both, my then state pensions age in years and months, and the projected state pension amount.

My employer was a private sector employer but I know of teachers and civil servants who got similar statements.

seven-day-weekend

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

It's similar to the "married woman's stamp" obfuscation. Thousands of women reached retirement age expecting a pension and finding out that they wouldn't get one in their own right.

Thankfully when I married my HR department automatically continued with deducting full NI contributions, but it was never explained that there was an alternative. Had I been asked, goodness knows what I might have chosen to do, given we had a new mortgage and were living pretty much hand to mouth in the early days.

Again, I always knew about the choices that had to be made, and if women didn't know straight away, surely most would know at some point in the forty years before they were due their SRP?

I paid one year of Married Women's Stamp, then realised what a no-brainer it was and switched back, even though we 'hadn't got a pot to P1$$ in', as they say.

Bogof_Babe

colsten wrote: »

Yep, I had Combined Pension Forecasts, part of my annual works pension statement, in 2004 and 2005. For questions, it referred me to a DWP Combined Pensions Forecast Contact Centre. The forecast showed both, my then state pensions age in years and months, and the projected state pension amount.

My employer was a private sector employer but I know of teachers and civil servants who got similar statements.

Ah, I had left work by then. Pretty sure I didn't get notification - it's the sort of thing that I would definitely have made a point of taking notice of. I wonder if my employer realised they needed to inform people who had left but were not yet drawing their work pension.

Silvertabby

“ It's similar to the "married woman's stamp" obfuscation. Thousands of women reached retirement age expecting a pension and finding out that they wouldn't get one in their own right.

Thankfully when I married my HR department automatically continued with deducting full NI contributions, but it was never explained that there was an alternative. Had I been asked, goodness knows what I might have chosen to do, given we had a new mortgage and were living pretty much hand to mouth in the early days.
Originally posted by Bogof_Babe

My late aunt always regretted opting to pay 'married woman's stamp' but the difference was being able to afford their mortgage or not. Seems she had to sign a declaration, confirming that she understood that she wouldn't be entitled to a pension in her own right.

It was never an option for me (married after 1977), but when I started work in the early 1970s I remember married colleagues gloating about the fact that they received so much more than us 'singlies' and what they were going to spend 'their' money on. A married colleague, who had opted to pay full stamp, told them that they would be sorry when they retired - but they just laughed and said that was 'too far away to bother'

Would be interesting to know how many of the WASPI women only paid the 'little' stamp.

colsten

Bogof_Babe wrote: »

I wonder if my employer realised they needed to inform people who had left but were not yet drawing their work pension.

I am not sure there was such an obligation on employers. I believe Automatic Pension Forecasts were sent to some 17.8m people directly from the DWP. A lot of WASPI remember receiving them - even one of the founders of the WASPI campaign volunteered she had received one of these.

Pollycat

p00hsticks wrote: »

Those born in 1953/4 were the worst affected by the 2011 changes but weren't the only ones - any (man or) woman born after that date was affected as their pension age went up to 66.

I wa born in 1960 and got a personal letter from DWP advising that my state pension age had changed from 65 to 66 as a result of the 2011 changes. I'm confident I didn't get a letter following the 1995 changes but was well aware of them at the time from the widespread media coverage.

I was replying specifically to Bogof_Babe who I suspected was born before 1953/1954 - as she has confirmed she was.

Pollycat

colsten wrote: »

They weren't, in 1995 or shortly thereafter. However, they might have been amongst the 17 million who received automated state pension forecasts between 2004 and 2006. When the women complain, they usually complain about their total increase, i.e. including the 1995 one. When quizzed, some do admit that they knew, anyway - but it's convenient to say they didn't know as it's nigh on impossible to prove that they did, and they bank on getting their money if they maintain they didn't know. What they forget, or don't comprehend, is that there is no obligation on anyone to personally inform people about changes to legislation.

There's a long section in the High Court judgment which deals with the notice aspect.

I think you believe that I'm supporting these WASPI women.

I'm not.
And have never supported them.


I was simply saying that p00sticks wouldn't have got a letter re the 1995 changes because none were sent out.
That doesn't excuse the mass claims by WASPI women that they were unaware of the changes.

Pollycat

colsten wrote: »

Just for correctness: there wasn't a 2010 Pensions Act. There was a 2011 one though, which added up to 18 months to the SPAs or 1950s women.

In an earlier post:

Pollycat wrote: »

I've said up-thread about when I received my letter telling me that my state pension age had been changed by 15 months, as a result of the 2010? Act.
My husband also received a letter advising him that his state pension age had changed to age 66.
So why do we think these women allege they didn't receive a letter?
The organisation involved managed to find me.
The organisation involved managed to find my husband.
Maybe it's because we read the letter.
We filled the letter.
We understood the contents of the letter.
We didn't just toss it in the bin because 'it wasn't interesting'.

I used a question mark as I couldn't remember the exact date.

You will probably note from the rest of my post that I have no sympathy with WASPI.

ffacoffipawb

Pollycat wrote: »

In an earlier post:

I used a question mark as I couldn't remember the exact date.

You will probably note from the rest of my post that I have no sympathy with WASPI.

Shouldn't really refer to these bleating moaners as WASPI as they are in favour of state pension inequality. Not against it.

There is inequality in pensions, probably, but not in state pensions.

Two wrongs don't make a right. They have no right to a state pension at 60.

The inequality is not just between the sexes but between races too (e.g. black men were more disadvantaged historically, probably still are to an extent). These WASPE don't mention this because they see no pound signs in their sights with this aspect.