A REDDITCH group fighting inequality in women’s pensions have hit out at comments made in Parliament by MP Rachel Maclean.
It follows comments by Mrs Maclean last Wednesday, November 29, where she suggested that women aged 65 could take on apprenticeships.
Church Hill resident Judy Phillips is a member of the WASPI Voice (Women Against State Pension Inequality) group in Redditch, which has been campaigning to help women whose State Pension age is being hiked to 66 by 2020, the same age as for men.
As MPs voted to help the women affected, Mrs Maclean said: “What exactly is wrong with a woman aged 65 taking an apprenticeship?
“I know women who are 65 who find that a great opportunity. Why write off women just because they’re 65?”
Judy, aged 61, said: “What type of apprenticeship has she in mind? Physical work is not an option for many of us, and neither is sitting at a desk for hours.
“Many of us have worked all our lives. It isn’t fair to expect us to do an apprenticeship when we should be retiring.
“Thousands of women born in the 1950s are now having to wait longer for their pensions. It’s not right that some women cannot afford to buy even basics. It’s disgusting that our MP should make a comment like this rather than supporting the women of Redditch.”
Following the outcry, Mrs Maclean said: “I have met with local women affected by the change to State Pension age, and am aware of their concerns, and while I’ve had no requests from the local WASPI group to meet with me I’m always happy to discuss this issue with them.
“My comments about apprenticeships have been taken completely out of context. A statement was made in the debate that it was an insult to offer any woman over 65 an apprenticeship, and all I did was to question why that should be the case.
“No-one is suggesting retraining or apprenticeships are right for all women, or they should be forced to take one, but I know of many who have taken up such an opportunity and report being hugely satisfied.”
MPs voted 288-0 to improve transitional arrangements for the WASPI women after Tory ministers, fearing defeat, boycotted the vote in the House of Commons.
