THE AUTUMN STATEMENT from the Chancellor of the Exchequer may have cheered a few people and disappointed more, but for one group of Moray women it proved little more than a damp squib.
Those are the women of Moray WASPI, who have been campaigning for a fair deal over pension age entitlement that saw many of them have their retirement plans destroyed by what they say were unfairly harsh changes.
Any hopes that Philip Hammond would offer an olive branch to the campaigners from Moray and thousands more throughout the country were quickly and perhaps not unexpectedly destroyed.
Reacting to the lack of any movement on the Treasury position, spokeswoman Jane Cowley said: “The Chancellor of the Exchequer failed to announce in his Autumn statement anything that would assist with the injustice experienced in State Pension provision for 1950s born women. Once again the Government has missed the chance to intervene in this serious matter.
“He announced that pensioner poverty was falling, but has omitted to take account of all those women who would have been pensioners but aren’t due to changes in their State Pension Age.
“These women have been left in poverty by a lack of notice of their state pension age changes, causing up to a six year loss of income, without sufficient time or assistance to make alternative plans.
“Many of the WASPI women are not even just about managing but are living in real poverty. Other political parties are now beginning to recognise this real injustice and are bringing forward suggestions that would at least partially alleviate some of the suffering of this group of women.
“It is a great shame that the Chancellor did not take this opportunity to do likewise. WASPI will continue to campaign for redress for all 1950s women both by engaging with politicians and through our legal challenge.”