Jessica Morden Jessica Morden - Labour MP for Newport East, PPS to Keir Starmer and Shadow Minister for Wales
Last week in Parliament I presented a petition to the UK Government calling on Ministers to introduce fair transitional arrangements for 1950s women affected by the increase in the State Pension Age. The petition, signed by affected women from Newport East, was handed to the House of Commons speaker this week. It also urged the Government to acknowledge the failings of the Government to properly notify women of the changes, and acknowledge that the changes are having devastating consequences.
The petition states:
“The petition of residents of Newport East,
“Declares that the 1995 Pensions Act has been implemented unfairly, with little/no personal notice (1995/2011 Pension Acts), faster than promised (2011 Pension Act), and no time to alternative plans; further that retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences; and further that hundreds of thousands of women have had significant changes imposed on them with a lack of appropriate notification.
“The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to work with the All Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women to make fair transitional arrangements for all women affected who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA).”
The petition will be sent to the Department for Work and Pensions, who must then respond in Hansard and directly to me. The Commons Petitions Committee can also recommend further action on a public petition, for example, recommending a debate in Westminster Hall or sending the petition to the relevant Select Committee.
I want to acknowledge the women born in the 1950s in my constituency and across the UK for their resolute efforts in fighting against the injustice and unfairness that they have faced. I also thank those who attended our public meeting in Newport on women’s pension changes and all those who signed this petition.