Local women who have had their State Pensions affected by the UK Government have organised a public meeting in Paisley to build support for their campaign in Renfrewshire.
Women from across Renfrewshire have been invited to attend an information and drop-in session at Paisley Grammar School on Thursday, 7th December from 6pm – 8pm, to learn more about the Glasgow and Lanarkshire WASPI campaign and how to complain to the DWP over the lack of information given to them about their pensions delays as a result of the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) are calling on the UK Government to help the 3.8 million affected women across the UK, over 340,000 of them in Scotland and a total of over 6,200 in Renfrewshire.
Both of Renfrewshire’s MPs, Gavin Newlands and Mhairi Black have been active on this campaign at Westminster and have helped to organise this event. The meeting will also be supported by MSPs Neil Bibby, Mary Fee and Tom Arthur.
Anne Potter and Rosemary Dickson, WASPI Glasgow and Lanarkshire Group Co-ordinators, said: “The aim of the campaign is to bring the pensions plight of 1950s women to the attention of the government. Now we find that after a lifetime of doing the right thing, the government is taking away our security in retirement. Many of our women have lost as much as £48,000 of pension income, many without any notice of a six- year increase to their State Pension age.
“WASPI does not object to the increase in the women’s SPA, but simply the unfair and discriminatory way the changes were carried through. WASPI are now calling on the government to make fair transitional arrangements to their new pension age.”
Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said: “I am delighted to be working with the local WASPI women to help them organise this public meeting which will raise awareness of the financial plight that so many of them are facing due to the changes that have been made to the State Pension without adequate notice or communication.
“Successive UK Governments have failed the WASPI women and this public meeting will allow the people of Renfrewshire to unite around a common message which calls on the UK Government to finally take action to help the WASPI women.”
Mhairi Black, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, said: “The government can no longer continue in their blind path and refuse to help the WASPI women who have been negatively affected by changes made to their State Pension. These women paid into the system, upheld their end of the bargain and at the very last minute the rug has been pulled from under their feet, pushing many of them into poverty.
“I am looking forward to speaking at this public event in Paisley and I’d encourage as many people as possible to attend in support of the WASPI women.”
Local WASPI women from Renfrewshire said: “We feel very fortunate to have the support of MPs and MSPs across all parties for this event and are hoping that other invited guests, including Councillors, may be able to attend.”