division_name: State Pension Age: Women
motion: <p class="indent" pid="b1585.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">That this House is concerned that the Government is not taking action to alleviate the injustice facing women affected by the acceleration of the increase in the state pension age, despite the House previously voting in favour of such action; welcomes the Landman Economics report into the impact of the changes to pension arrangements for women born in the 1950s, which identifies an affordable solution which would slow down that increase in order to give adequate time for women affected by the acceleration to make alternative arrangements; and calls on the Government to work with the Women Against State Pension Inequality and Women Against State Pension Inequality Voice campaigns further to explore transitional protection for those affected.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1588.2/4" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on the minimum written notice to be given to people who will be affected by future changes to the state pension age.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1588.2/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;The Government has committed not to change the legislation relating to State Pension age for those people who are within 10 years of reaching it. This provides these individuals with the certainty they need to plan for the future. We recognise the importance of ensuring people are aware of any changes to their State Pension age and we use a number of different means to do this&#8230;Anyone can find out their State Pension age with our online calculator or the &#8216;Check your State Pension&#8217; statement service.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1588.2/9" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;following the Pensions Act 1995, State Pension estimates, issued to individuals on request, made the changes clear.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1593.2/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;to immediately introduce transitional arrangements for those women negatively affected by that equalisation.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1593.2/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;action to alleviate the injustice facing women affected by the acceleration of the increase in the state pension age&#8221;,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;Women, wha hae wi&#8217; WASPI bled,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/9" pwmotiontext="yes">Women, wham WASPI has af times led;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/10" pwmotiontext="yes">Welcome to your gory bed,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/11" pwmotiontext="yes">Or to victory!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/12" pwmotiontext="yes">Now&#8217;s the day, and now&#8217;s the hour;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/13" pwmotiontext="yes">See the front o&#8217; battle lour;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/14" pwmotiontext="yes">See approach proud Theresa&#8217;s power&#8212;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/15" pwmotiontext="yes">Chains and slavery!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/16" pwmotiontext="yes">Wha will be a traitor knave?</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/17" pwmotiontext="yes">Wha can fill a coward&#8217;s grave!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/18" pwmotiontext="yes">Wha sae base as be a slave?</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/19" pwmotiontext="yes">Let her turn and flee!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/20" pwmotiontext="yes">Wha for Pensions rightly earned</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/21" pwmotiontext="yes">Freedom&#8217;s sword will strongly draw,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/22" pwmotiontext="yes">WASPIs stand, or WASPIs fa&#8217;,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/23" pwmotiontext="yes">Let them follow me!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/24" pwmotiontext="yes">By oppression&#8217;s woes and pains!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/25" pwmotiontext="yes">By your daughters in servile chains!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/26" pwmotiontext="yes">We will drain our dearest veins,</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/27" pwmotiontext="yes">But they shall be free!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/28" pwmotiontext="yes">Lay the proud usurpers low!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/29" pwmotiontext="yes">Tyrants fall in every foe!</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/30" pwmotiontext="yes">Liberty&#8217;s in every blow!&#8212;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1594.1/31" pwmotiontext="yes">Let us do or die!&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1595.2/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;welcomes the planned average rise of &#163;550 a year for 3 million women, including those born in the 1950s, who receive the new state pension; further welcomes the increase of over &#163;1,100 per year of the basic state pension since 2010 as the result of the triple lock, which will also benefit such women; and recognises that the state pension must reflect the welcome rise in life expectancy in order to remain sustainable for generations to come.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1598.6/2" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;The national insurance fund provides security for those contributory benefits. It is ring-fenced and cannot be used for other Government expenditure.&#8221;&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-10-21">21 October</phrase> 2003; Vol. 411, c. 231WH.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1607.2/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;more could and should have been done&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1608.0/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;we will consider transitional arrangements&#8221;.&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-06-20">20 June</phrase> 2011; Vol. 530, c. 52.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1619.3/5" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;The Tories have tried to wash their hands of this crisis&#8230;which is why the SNP decided to do the work for them.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1619.3/8" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;UK government must make transitional arrangements&#8221;.</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1624.0/6" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;the Government&#8217;s position is very clear: this was not a contract. State pensions are technically a benefit.&#8221;&#8212;[Official Report, <phrase class="date" code="2016-11-15">15 November</phrase> 2016; Vol. 617, c. 44.]</p>
  
  <p class="indent" pid="b1626.1/3" pwmotiontext="yes">&#8220;We&#8217;ve known for some time that the poorest households and women have shouldered the greatest burden of austerity measures.&#8221;</p>
  
  <p class="italic" pid="b1630.0/5" pwmotiontext="yes">The House divided:</p>
  
  <p pid="b1630.0/6" pwmotiontext="yes">Ayes 234, Noes 293.</p>