MORAY CAMPAIGNERS HAVE joined a protest this week that saw around 1000 women demonstrate outside the House of Commons over unfair pension age changes.
Several women from the region took part in the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) protest again transitional measures that see thousands of women born in the 1950’s twice having the date when they would receive their state pensions put back.
It is understood that around 4440 women in Moray alone are affected by the changes, which the UK Government insist were required to bring women’s pension ages into line with men.
Angus Robertson MP met with Moray campaigners who had raised the issue – and posed questions to the Prime Minister this week.
The Moray MP said: “There was a really good contingent of women from North-east Scotland, including Moray, at the demonstration in Westminster this week. The SNP has given wholehearted backing to the WASPI campaign, and we will keep up the fight for these women at Westminster.
“I have personally raised the issue in Prime Minister’s Questions and the combination of demonstrations and pressure from WASPI and work within parliament helps to maintain pressure on the Government in an effort to get this completely unfair situation sorted.
“A large number of local women born in the mid-1950s have been badly affected by the proposed changes, and have been in touch directly with me. They can rest assured that my SNP colleagues and I will continue to press the UK Government for a rethink on how it phases in increases to the state pension age.
“Changing patterns of life expectancy do demand a response from the Government. This, however, was the wrong response, and the Government needs to consider the damage its policy will do.”