I'll be there: Redditch pensions campaigner heads for Judicial Review case - The Redditch Standard

I'll be there: Redditch pensions campaigner heads for Judicial Review case

Redditch Editorial 31st May, 2019   0

A REDDITCH resident battling for the pension rights of women born in the 1950s will be travelling to London to hear the results of a Judicial Review of the case next month.

Campaigner Judy Phillips will be joining hundreds of other women heading for the capital to hear what goes on.

Such is the clamour all seats for the Review have already been allocated but a large crowd is still expected to gather outside to hear the deliberations relayed to them.

“Whilst the Review is going on and hold a peaceful demonstration to show our support,” said Judy, from Church Hill, who is a member of the Back to 60 campaign group.




The action has come about after the government some years ago acted to equalise the retirement age between men and women, targeting women born in the 1950s as the ones who would lose years off their pension.

Throughout their lives these women had anticipated they would start receiving their State pensions at 60.


However, a 1995 Act of Parliament raised their pensionable age to 65 in line with men. This has since been extended further.

Many women were told of the change just 18 months before they were expecting to receive their pensions and others received no notification at all.

This meant many had no time to adjust to their change of circumstances.

Others who had been divorced suddenly found that court rulings anticipating they would receive their pensions at the age of 60 left them several years without any financial support.

The campaigners took the government to court claiming the government’s decision was both age and gender discrimination.

It was claimed the decision had been driven by a desire to save money with the women affected losing more than £5billion as a result.

A hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice found in their favour last December, a High Court judging granting them a Judicial Review of the government’s decision.

“The cost for the Judicial Review was raised through crowdfunding and the 1950s women and their supporters managed to raise this money in 11 days, which goes to show the commitment of this group,” said Judy.

The Judicial Review is on June 5-6 with Judy travelling down on the final day.

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