BRENDAN O’HARA CALLS ON UK CHANCELLOR TO TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT WASPI WOMEN

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Local MP Brendan O’Hara has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Phillip Hammond on behalf of 6,700 WASPI women across Argyll and Bute who have been hit by the UK Government changes to the state pension age.Research by the House of Commons Library has revealed that the number of women aged over 60 claiming either Job Seekers Allowance/Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance has increased markedly between 2013 and 2017, with ESA claims over 330% higher.

Conclusions have identified that state pension age changes, which have affected a huge number of WASPI women, are likely to have played a part in these increases.

Commenting, Brendan O’Hara said: “In Argyll and Bute, benefit claims for women over the age of 60 have increase drastically and it would appear that a large number of these claims are from women who have been affected by the changes to the state pension age”.

“For too long the UK Government have shown an appalling abdication of responsibility to right this wrong. They have shown no apathy towards the impact these changes have had to so many WASPI women.”

“In 2016, the SNP commissioned independent research that showed there are a number of options available to the UK Government to mitigate some of the financial detriment these women are facing but unfortunately, the Government chose to ignore these options.”

I have written to the Chancellor to ask him to put things right and look again at what options are available to bring forward necessary funding to provide support for all affected WASPI women.”