MP joins fight over '˜unfair' pension changes for women

Mr Hepburn was one of a number of MPs lending support tp a mass lobby of Parliament organised by the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign and supported by UNISON.

The 1995 Pensions Act increased women’s state pension age to 65, the same as men’s.

Many organisations recommended that the Government should ensure that the women affected were given fair notice of the changes.

Campaigners say these recommendations were ignored and, as a result, hundreds of thousands of women have had no time to make alternative arrangements and their plans for retirement have been shattered.

Me Hepburn said: “I was proud to sign a pledge calling on the Government to implement fair transitional arrangements for WASPI women affected by the state pnsion age changes.

“The campaign is fighting for compensation for women born on or after 6 April 1951 who are facing hardship in retirement as a result of the Government’s changes to their state pension age.

“It is totally unacceptable that these women are heading for financial hardship in old age because the Government failed to communicate the changes with them effectively. The government must reconsider their stance on this important issue and implement fair transitional State Pension arrangements so that these women get the retirement they deserve.”