Hartlepool women's pension campaign group hopeful ahead of High Court ruling

The Court of Appeal in London is due to rule on Tuesday, September 15, on a challenge brought by campaigners who argue changes to the state pension age have unlawfully discriminated against women born in the 1950s.

Nearly four million women have been affected by the changes which have raised the state pension age from 60 to 66.

Two claimants – Julie Delve, 61, and Karen Glynn, 63 – brought legal action against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), arguing that raising their pension age “unlawfully discriminated against them on the grounds of age, sex, and age and sex combined”.

They are appealing against a High Court ruling dismissing their case in October 2019.

The challenge is supported by the campaign group BackTo60.

Also watching closely for the decision is the Hartlepool WASPI (Women Against State Pension Injustice) Supporters Group which contributed to crowdfunding for the Judicial Review and again for the appeal when the original case was lost.

The group say many women only found out about the change in the pension age when they were two or three years from retirement, and some when they were actually applying for their pension.

Over 5,000 women in Hartlepool are said to have been affected by the changes.

Hartlepool group coordinators Lynne Taylor and Barbara Crossman said: "Michael Mansfield QC for the [BackTo60] group said in court that by giving the women little or no notice of the changes the government had created a sub class of women leaving some having to sell their homes and some becoming homeless and many reliant on foodbanks.

“We are hoping the outcome is favourable for members of our group.”

The appeal was also told that from the 1980s until as recently as 2018, millions of men were allowed to 'retire' at 60 and got a pension top up paid by the taxpayer, but was never offered to women.

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

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