Hartlepool pension campaigners raising awareness ahead of court appeal

Hartlepool WASPI (Women Against State Pension Injustice) Campaign Supporters Group will tie the ribbons to trees, lampposts and railings across the town ahead of an important court hearing in London.

The Court of Appeal is due to hear an appeal brought by campaign group Backto60 on Tuesday, July 21 and Wednesday, July 22.

In June last year, they lost a landmark judicial review against the Department for Work and Pensions over a lack of notice to Women's State Pension Age changes.

Nearly four million women born in the 1950s – including over 5,000 in Hartlepool – have been affected by the changes, introduced by successive governments in an attempt to ensure “pension age equalisation”, which have raised the state pension age from 60 to 66.

Backto60 is seeking full restitution of all pension monies lost by the 1950's women.

Barbara Crossman and Lynne Taylor, Hartlepool WASPI Supporters Group co-ordinators, said: “New evidence has been discovered including the fact that in the 1980's under Margaret Thatcher’s government unemployment figures were exceptionally high and to reduce these figures and to take men off the unemployment register 4.5 million men were allowed to 'retire' at 60 and be given a pension top up paid for by the taxpayer.

“This was never given to women and was allowed to carry on for men until 2018, just two years ago.

“This is just one piece of evidence discovered and we are hopeful of successfully winning this appeal.”

In January, we reported on hundreds of ribbons springing up across Hartlepool.

New purple ribbons are due to go up in residential parts of the town as members stick close to home due to the pandemic.

Barbara said women continue to suffer financial hardship because of the way the changes happened.

The WASPI movement has been campaigning for a bridging pension to cover the period between women’s old and new State Pension Age that is not means tested or a loan.

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