Grandmothers who can't help out because of increase in State Pension age

Please all have a look at the new website for Women Against State Pension Inequality launched recently.
www.waspi.co.uk
Unfortunately, distance, health issues and cost will prevent many women from attending the Demo but do have a look at the website for other ways to support.
Many thanks to you all.

As longevity rises and women seek equality with men, why should not both sexes retire at the same equal older age?

I think the number of families having childcare problems as a result of this structured age rise is relatively few. Most Gransnetters seem to be come grandparents a good while before they reach retirement age, and there are so many other reasons why grandparents cannot help to look after grandchildren. For example I have been unable to offer any care for my DGC because I live 200 miles away, then their are grandparents with disabilities or other caring responsibilities, and others that have no desire to be involved in child care. Why give special favours to one small group of grandparents? What happens to those without grandchildren? Should they stay at work?

I certainly support that unfortunate group of women caught up in the current situation where they were given littler or no notice of a sudden significant rise in their retirement age, I do think that should be sorted in their favour, but as for cancelling the overall planned rise in pension age because a few grandparents might no longer be able to provide child care for two years. I can see no justification for that at all.

Please all have a look at the new website for Women Against State Pension Inequality launched a few days ago.
www.waspi.co.uk

Unfortunately, distance, health issues and cost will prevent many women from attending the Demo but do have a look at the website for other ways to support.
Many thanks to you all.

Please all have a look at the new website for Women Against State Pension Inequality launched a few days ago.
www.waspi.co.uk

Unfortunately, distance, health issues and cost will prevent many women from attending the Demo but do have a look at the website for other ways to support.
Many thanks to you all.

Please all have a look at the new website for Women Against State Pension Inequality launched a few days ago.
www.waspi.co.uk

Unfortunately, distance, health issues and cost will prevent many women from attending the Demo but do have a look at the website for other ways to support.
Many thanks to you all.

Please all have a look at the new website for Women Against State Pension Inequality launched a few days ago.
www.waspi.co.uk

Unfortunately, distance, health issues and cost will prevent many women from attending the Demo but do have a look at the website for other ways to support.
Many thanks to you all.

Please all have a look at the new website for Women Against State Pension Inequality launched a few days ago.
www.waspi.co.uk

Unfortunately, distance, health issues and cost will prevent many women from attending the Demo but do have a look at the website for other ways to support.
Many thanks to you all.

I have followed the link and written to the MP, I also think that the role of GP in child care is so underestimated. Parents are under such pressure with child care costs, longer working hours and the guilt of leaving their children in a nursery for extended period can be replaced with, the knowledge you have a well loved and trusted family member with them, who is also benefiting from strengthening their bond.
Good Luck!

I wholeheartedly support this campaign and, although I'm old enough (and lucky enough) not to have been affected, I hope to be able to attend the demo. I feel it is divisive to imply criticism of those who can't, for whatever reason, join in on that day and it doesn't bode well for a united campaign.

I hope all the people who are affected by this will also feel more inclined to have sympathy for other groups of people who find themselves in a desperate financial position - in work, out of work or in retirement - due to the policies of this government.

There is an on line poll on the subject of increased pension ages, Google mirror + waspi. Thank you.

Stephen Crabb was answering DWP questions today and was asked a question about Waspi.....one problem he mentioned is that there is no clarity re their aims. He also said he had been told by many that they did not support the cost neutral option (taking pension earlier at lower rate). He said opposition parties should not give false hope. Very disappointed. However All Party Parliamentary Group AGM at 2pm today.

Maggiemaybe
To be honest, I CBA'd to reply!

Maggie perhaps the answer lies in her name

The latest online petition closed recently with 193,185 signatures after its six month run, CleopatraSoup. WASPI are now urging those who are going to the demo to download a paper petition and get it filled in, presumably to hand in on the day.

Well, Juggernaut, thank you for clarifying your health issues. However, you clearly stated can't attend your Demo as I'm over 200 miles away!, without any mention at all of any health problems, so how did my comments deserve your rude reply? Especially as I also stated I appreciate not everyone can make it, for various reasons and added that those of us who could go would represent those who couldn't.

Is there a petition I could sign like 38 degrees? I'm too poor to be able to buy the train ticket to London.

I have to wait until my DH is 67 (he missed the 6 April 2016 cut off) as the State Pension for couples is now calculated on the age of the younger spouse. I am not 65 for another three years.

Universal Credit is going to replace Working Tax Credit but the new rules state it can only be claimed by those in work up to the age of 60. We are on a fairly low income so that's a going to be a double whammy for us.

It's not fair especially since we have always paid into the system. Good luck with the demo JP.

Maggiemaybe
When I said I'm more than 200 miles from London, it was a rough guess, I just googled it, 233.3 miles!
The fact that there are women travelling down from Scotland and some flying in from Spain and Italy for the occasion is very impressive, but maybe they don't have the medical issues I live with.
There are many reasons why some people can only support the campaign from a distance. Telling me that there are women travelling from Scotland/Spain/Italy does not miraculously remove the pain from my hips, legs and feet, therefore a little more understanding of the fact that not all of us are fit enough to travel to London would be appreciated!
As soon as the increase in women's state pension age was mentioned I started lobbying my MP, and tried desperately to get a campaign started, but at that time women just didn't seem to be interested!
I just don't understand why women didn't realise years ago that we were being deprived of up to about £37,000. Could you imagine what would have happened if this had affected men rather than women, there'd probably have been another general strike!

Good luck with the demo. I don't get my state pension till 66, luckily survive on husbands pension and because we both worked ,we paid our mortgage off a few years back. If we still had the mortgage, I would still be working. I hope you all have a succesfull campaign, I am just sorry I can not join you all.

Waspi have already asked for letters to Stephen Crabb via own MP but he said in Parliament today that the issue would not be revisited. New Minister same old same old....

Thank you FarNorth and dramatictessa - I think going on and on is a great idea - eventually they will have to listen. A supporting MP said that MPs take notice of a deluge of letters through their letterbox so in this case, a letter gets more results than emails. Thanks again.

I have already written to my MP, but as he's David Cameron it's pretty much a waste of time! Mind you, I only wrote about the financial implications for me, maybe a letter detailing the financial implications for the future of society as a whole would be better e.g.cost to the NHS due to older people becoming ill through working longer, cost to businesses of more people being off sick, younger people out of work so more benefits to be paid out and less tax revenue, less housing stock due to older people putting off downsizing, less revenue for retirement businesses as older people won't need them, less consumer spending because young people won't have much disposable income because they won't have jobs and older people tend not to spend so much because they already have everything they need...I could go on and on!

I am not one who is losing out but know many people who are.

I will write to my MP also.

Don’t worry if you can’t get to London on the day. You can still help by writing to your MP and explaining how the loss of your State Pension income has affected you. You can find your MP on the WriteToThem website, tap in your postcode and a letter addressed to your MP will come up ready for you. The WriteToThem website also chases them up for a response. www.writetothem.com/

Can't join you, I'm afraid, as I do get to look after my grandson on Wednesdays. Good luck, though. I am lucky to have a decent pension and still be able to work (self-employed now) a little to supplement it, but won't get the State pension for another 5 years. As with so many of the Government's policies, the repercussions just have not been thought through. What is going to happen when people have to work on into their 70's? Who will fill the gaps in child/elder care then? It's jot just about the financial unfairness to us women who were born in the 50's (although money seems to be the only thing this lot of politicians can think about), it's about the knock effect on families and society as a whole. I'll be looking out for the media reports on the demo - although given the bias of the Beeb and the press, I doubt there'll be very much to see and read.

Well, those of us who are there will just have to represent those who can't be - it looks as though there's going to be a good turn-out.