Lanark and Hamilton East MP Angela Crawley attended a WASPI campaign event in Westminster this week.

In the run-up to the UK Government budget – due to be announced on the 11th of March – Angela is backing the WASPI campaign’s call for fair transitional arrangements to be put in place.

The MP for Lanark and Hamilton East has been a fervent supporter of the WASPI campaign, challenging the Prime Minister and successive Work and Pensions Secretaries to support those who have been adversely affected by the acceleration of the change to their state pension age.  

The SNP have argued that transitional measures to mitigate the issue would cost significantly less than the UK government’s £30 billion figure, with independent research commissioned by the SNP showing the cost would only sit at £8 billion.

Commenting, Angela said:

“The UK government cannot continue to ignore the mounting pressure to end the injustice for the 3.8million women facing pensions inequality.

“The Tories have utterly failed the WASPI women, and must now undo the damage they have caused by giving them the pensions they rightfully deserve.

“At a time when pensioner poverty has risen, and household incomes have fallen, the Tories’ failure to address this issue is unthinkable and unsustainable.

“Women born in the 1950s justifiably expected to benefit from their state pension when they reached 60. Many have been unable to continue working due to ill health, caring responsibilities or unemployment.

“These women are simply asking the UK government to pay out what they have paid in and have every right to receive. This generation faced a double whammy – many women faced pay discrimination in the workplace and are now being denied their state pension for years.

“The UK government’s failure to address the injustice is a political choice that has left millions of women poorer and worse off. They must now listen to the SNP and campaigners, do the right thing and bring forward a fair deal to right this wrong.” ENDS