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Your comments: Hundreds of readers share their experiences as WASPI women


By David Porter

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Following MP for Gordon, Richard Thomson's calls for compensation to be issued to those affected by age related pension issues, known as Women Against State Pension Inequailty (WASPI), hundreds of readers from across the UK have shared their own stories with Grampian Online.

We share a selection of them here -

Jennifer Burke from Insch This government are an absolute disgrace. Delaying as long as they can before making even any response or payment of any kind to the most vulnerable people in this country but can always find billions for everything else. They should hang their heads in shame.

Elaine Purdy from Bracknell - I was amazed to realise when I was due to retire that my retirement age had changed, not having had any notification of such an age change. So having to work another four years and several months with arthritis in my knees has sometimes my retirement unbearable with so much pain . The government seem to think that our pension is a benefit but I paid in 48 years full stamp and have never claimed a benefit in my life even now my daughter tells me I should claim attendance allowance as I am quiet disabled and can't do every thing I used to do but I still can't bring myself to do this . I believe that the extra years I had to work that I have been robbed of my contributions I paid in.

Jacqueline Creasey from Peterborough - Thank you for raising the WASPI profile. Successive Governments have continued to ignore us! We have served our purpose and now we are invisible. This Government could put it right by paying us women compensation but they are happy to drag this out for as long as possible hoping that more of us will no longer be here and will have less to pay out. Nearly 250,000 have passed away waiting for their compensation.

Kay Maltby from Leeds - I have worked all my life, paid in to my pension with the expectation that I would receive it once I got to 60 this is a broken contract in my mind. I and many others deserve to be compensated before we die.

Sarah McClenaghan from Bathgate - I was one of the woman not notified the changes to the pension, which I am really angry about, I had to continue to work an extra six years through ill heath which ended up me having heart problems with stress and along with caring for my sick husband who had bone cancer, I think it is disgraceful how the government carried this out with no with the women it would ultimately damage mentaly and financially, I think they should pay us for this six years of struggle and damage to our physical and mental health.

Gillian Fuller from Milton Keynes - I have had to retire early from my job as receptionist at a GP surgery due to Molecular Degeneration. I cannot drive at the moment and am awaiting operations on both eyes. I am 64 and have worked all my life. I have nothing to contribute to bills etc, it's all down to my husband to pay. By rights I should have my state pension but government moved the goal post to 66 without any warning. I now have to wait two years to claim what is rightfully mine. I am worried for our future, cost of living going up etc. Please do the right thing for all ladies that have been penalised, and reinstate the age back to 60 so that we may be reimbursed.

Catherine Dunn from Glasgow - I will be 66 in July so almost at the end of the long arduous road. I am still working 12hr days in a care home to support myself as I am on my own with a mortgage still to pay. I am really struggling now and my poor knees and back are broken. It's time now for the government to say sorry as I have worked full time since the age of 16 and contributed NI and tax for 50 long years.

Karen Tolan from Ossett - I honestly think that WASPI women are still being treated as if we don't matter, I'm retiring in July, I became a widow at 60 so I have just had my income to live on, no benefits, no extra help with household costs and bills, I'm so ready for retirement, such a shame I had to work six extra years.

Maureen Gardiner from Cumbernauld - Totally agree, we need paid out now. I'm 66years of age July. Bowel,,uterus ,ovaries cancer I myself will be dead before a pay out but my family are still intitled to this money.

Linda Everest from Gravesend - I was 65 on May 12 2022. With the cost of living etc I am having to use equity release from my property just to survive. I have a small personal pension, and a small pension from my late husband to live on, I look after grandchildren three days per week, travel too, and look after my 93 year old mother on 1 day and do any little bits of clerical work from an old boss for 12 hours per month. With the cost of living, fuel etc going up, I will not be able to afford to live. I gave up work in 2011 to become a career for my terminally I’ll husband expecting to receive state pension in May 2017. My husband died in April 2013, in August 2013 I learnt I would not get pension until 2023. I have since cleaned toilets, worked in retail (I was a PA for Bexley council throughout my working life) was made redundant when school outfitters went bust, I am a career but get no recompense.

Lynn Holmes from Pontefract - I had to leave my job working with the NHS at 55 years old due to I’ll health. I have scoliosis and restricted lung disease, I had to wait 11 years before receiving my SP. I had to depend on my husband to support me for many years which was absolutely degrading. I received my SP last year, and what a difference it has made to my life!! I feel the the poor ladies that never got the chance to enjoy what was rightfully theirs. We have waited long enough!! We need compensation and we need it now.

Linda Hall from Alloa - The Government has ignored this for the past seven years. 50's women have been poorly treated in the workplace as we did not have equal pay which reflected in the amount we could pay into our pension. Do the government want us all to die before this is resolved ?


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