Pensions minister Ros Altmann is to meet with campaigners seeking to soften changes to women’s state pensions
Pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann will meet with campaigners next week as she seeks to convince colleagues of the case for reform on women's state pensions.
Altmann will meet the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group on 29 June to hear complaints over the rising state pension age.
Speaking to City A.M., Altmann said she had “enormous sympathy” for campaigners but had previously been “blocked” from meeting them.
Waspi argues the increase in women's pension age to 67 has been poorly communicated and is unfair on those born in the 1950s, who are approaching the age of retirement but will have to wait longer than their predecessors.
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“I have asked them to help me understand and therefore explain better to colleagues what the real issues and hardships are,” Altmann said.
“The changes are now coming in so I have to try and see if there is any way that I am able to help.
“Older women have had a particularly difficult time in terms of pensions, even if when they do get their state pension it will be better than many women have had before.”