Solent Waspi women's plea to government for help amid pandemic

The Solent Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group, along with its national members, have asked for two changes: to give early access to pension credit to eligible women as well as early access to those due to reach state pension age this year.

They believe this would mean that the government would not have to support these women through other measures like furlough payments or benefits.

The national Waspi campaign director, Chrissie Lord, said: 'Every day, we hear heart-breaking stories from our members about how the current situation is affecting them.

'We’re increasingly concerned about the disproportionate impact the outbreak is having on 1950s born women.

'Those who are hardest hit have been unable to retire as planned and are now unable to work. We have always campaigned for fair transitional arrangements for all women affected by the Waspi issue, and we will continue to work towards this aim.

'However, in these exceptional circumstances we have taken the decision to campaign urgently for vital support specifically for those who have been impacted the most severely.'

The Solent branch of Waspi has written to its local MPs including Penny Mordaunt, Stephen Morgan, Caroline Dinenage, Suella Braverman, Alan Mak and Flick Drummond asking for their support.

Solent Waspi co-ordinator, Shelagh Simmons, added: 'At this unprecedented time of national emergency, we are writing to every MP in our area seeking their support for these proposals.

'We very much hope they will recognise the urgency of the situation for Waspi women in their constituency and will respond positively to this call for action we are making on their behalf.'

Waspi women campaign for fair transitional arrangements for women born in the 1950s who have had as much as six years added to their state pension age with little, or no, notice.

It is thought that more than 116,000 women in Hampshire have been hit by the changes to pension age.

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