to consider the following motion received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10.1:
(a) By Cllrs Hopwood and Foss
“There are 49 female members of staff at South Hams District Council born between 1950 and 1969 which will be adversely affected by the government changes made to the Pensions Act. With this in mind and the wider South Hams female population the Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification.
Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little/no/personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age.
Many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment. Women born in this decade are suffering financially. These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60. It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute - it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time. The issue is that the rise in the women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.
The Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.”
Minutes:
42/16
It was noted that one motion had been received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10.1.
(a) By Cllrs Hopwood and Foss
“There are 49 female members of staff at South Hams District Council born between 1950 and 1969 which will be adversely affected by the government changes made to the Pensions Act. With this in mind and the wider South Hams female population the Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification.
Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little/no/personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age.
Many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment. Women born in this decade are suffering financially. These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60. It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute - it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time. The issue is that the rise in the women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.
The Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.”
In introducing the motion, the proposer made reference to:-
- the motion highlighting an important issue that affected Council employees and the wider South Hams population;
- her wish to applaud the efforts of the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) Devon campaign group;
- a particular case that she was aware of in her constituency that underlined just how severe the financial implications of the pension changes would be to women;
- the reforms potentially affecting 2.6 million women in the UK, who had received just two years notice of a six year increase in their state pension age;
- over 193,000 people having signed an e-petition calling for more fairer transitional arrangements to be put into place;
- the knock-on effect to both the local economy and health and wellbeing agenda.
In the general debate, the following points were raised:-
(a) An amendment that was PROPOSED and SECONDED was subsequently accepted by the proposer and seconder of the original motion and was therefore incorporated into the substantive motion. The amendment read as follows:
‘And that the support of the local MPs be sought and that their responses be reported back to the Council.’
(b) Every Member who took part in the debate expressed their support for the motion and echoed their gratitude for the work being undertaken by WASPI Devon;
(c) In terms of the job market, a Member highlighted that there would a consequent impact by virtue of those women who would be affected having to work for more years and therefore reducing the job opportunities for the younger generation.
It was then:
RESOLVED
There are 49 female members of staff at South Hams District Council born between 1950 and 1969 which will be adversely affected by the government changes made to the Pensions Act. With this in mind and the wider South Hams female population the Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification.
Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little/no/personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age.
Many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment. Women born in this decade are suffering financially. These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60. It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute - it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time. The issue is that the rise in the women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements.
The Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.
And that the support of the local MPs be sought and that their responses be reported back to the Council.