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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
Jenny Willott MP writes: Calling for a fair rise in the State Pension age
June 20, 2011 12:39 PM
• Jenny Willott* writes: IN 1970 a person reaching 60 could expect to live a further 18 years. Last year, they could expect to live another 28 years. Advances in healthcare, living standards and technology mean that people in the UK are living longer and life expectancy is rapidly increasing . .
The Government, in the shape of our very own Pensions Minister Steve Webb, is planning to introduce a flat rate pension for new pensioners from 2016, so while people will have to retire later, they will do so on a better pension, reducing the numbers of pensioners who have to decide between food and heating. Working a year more is a trade off, but one that I believe strikes a fair balance.
However, women born between 1953 and 1954 will have to work more than just a year longer, and a small group of 33,000 women, born between March and April 1954, will have to work a full two years more before they receive their pension. I do not believe that the current plans are fair on these women.
People need time to plan for their retirement and to make these women work for so much longer at just seven years notice would be deeply unfair. That is why I recently called on the Government to think again about these plans and find a way to make them fairer for those women worst affected by the changes.
Under any other Government I would be sceptical whether ministers would listen and respond to this call, but with Lib Dems inside Government I am confident that a solution can be found and we can continue to show that the Lib Dems provide the strongest, most progressive voice for pensioners.
* MP for Cardiff Central and Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Committee on Work and Pensions.
• Jenny Willott MP writes: Calling for a fair rise in the State Pension age [Lib Dem Voice Jun 20]
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