Some constituents have contacted asking me to support Early
Day Motion 2296 about State Pension Age changes.
As a principle I never sign early day motions as they very
rarely achieve anything whilst at the same time running up costs to the tax
payer.
I have met with many women in mid-Cornwall who were born in
the 1950’s and are going to be significantly and unfairly affected by changes
to State Pension changes.
Since I was elected, I have raised this issue with the
government several times and have been in close correspondence with Pensions
Ministers over the options available to best support women who have lost out
through these changes.
I appreciate your concerns about the pension age changes.
Equalising the State Pension Age was necessary to meet the UK’s obligation
under EU Law to eliminate gender inequalities in social security provision. The
Pensions Act 1995 legislated for this to be done gradually after 2010.
Following sharp increases in life expectancy projections, the government had to
accelerate this process slightly in the Pensions Act 2011 to secure the
sustainability of the system.
Under the 1995 Act, the women’s State Pension Age was
scheduled to increase from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020. As a result of the
2011 reforms, it reached 65 in November 2018. The government did listen to
concerns raised at the time, and I am pleased that as a result, the maximum
increase in the State Pension Age was capped at 18 months relative to the 1995
timetable.
The Department for Work and Pensions is clear all women
affected were written to between January 2012 and November 2013. Those affected
by the 1995 changes were also contacting between April 2009 and March 2011.
Parliament debated the changes at length and approved them in 2011, and whilst
I understanding the view that transitional protection should be put in place,
pushing back the change for some women would cost taxpayers many billions of
pounds and add further complication to the system. The government are not
backing down on this issue due to cost.
All those affected will receive the new Single Tier Pension.
This pension will be high and fairer to women as it takes into account years
taken out of work raising a family. Around 650,000 women will receive an
average of £8 more per week in the first ten years as a result.
