Pembrokeshire County Council’s offices in Haverfordwest will be lit up in purple on Monday (6th September) in support of Pembrokeshire’s 12,000 WASPI women (Women Against State Pension Injustice). The date also marks the reopening of parliament at Westminster.
“We want to remind MPs that the Ombudsman ruled that it was maladministration when 1950s- born women were not given adequate notice of changes to their State Pension Age”, said Cllr Cris Tomos, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Welsh Language, who formally requested the lighting-up.
“Twelve thousand WASPI women in our area had their plans for retirement shattered with little or no notice. They deserve a fair and fast compensation.”
Jackie Gilderdale from WASPI added: “It’s great that Pembrokeshire County Council’s support for us is so visible. For years 1950s women were told it was their fault that they didn’t know their state pension age had changed. The Ombudsman vindicated all 1950s women on July 20th. They said the Department for Work and Pensions got it wrong. We should have been given at least another 28 months’ notice of the changes.”
Now that maladministration has been found, the Ombudsman will go on to look at whether injustice occurred and, if so, compensation should be paid.
Pembrokeshire County Council Leader, Cllr David Simpson said the Authority was pleased to be able to support the WASPI organisation.
“It‘s a very important issue for many women and their families in this county,” he said.
