Campaigners against state pension age rise ‘supremely confident’ ahead of Court of Appeal hearing

Campaigners who took the government to court over the state pension age rise are “supremely confident” ahead of their Court of Appeal hearing – warning the pension overhaul has caused “irreparable damage”.

Almost four million women were affected by the controversial pension age rise from 60 to 66 for women born after March 1950.

BackTo60, a campaign group calling for women to be reimbursed for pension payments they have missed due to the changes, lost its landmark High Court battle after taking the government to court over the state pension age increase.

The campaign group, which is represented by Michael Mansfield QC, a barrister who has been dubbed the “king of human rights work”, is appealing the ruling on Tuesday.

Joanne Welch, founder of Backto60, told The Independent they are “supremely confident” the decision will be in favour of women hit by the state pension age rise.

She said: “We are in no doubt that 1950’s women have suffered discrimination. It is outright misogyny. Why would 3.8 million women be told at the eleventh hour, with no notice, to go back to work for six years. We have been robbed of our pension. It is important because it is not only about 1950’s women. It is about all women. We must stop other younger generations of women being treated like we have been treated.

“Women retiring at 60 has been woven into the fabric of society. When women hit by the state pension age rise started work, some of whom were as young as 16, they were told they would retire at 60. Many 1950’s women have been literally scared witless to work on the frontline during the coronavirus crisis.

“Some of them without personal protective equipment (PPE) in caring jobs, as nurses, teachers, working in factories, retail, hospitality. They were scared because they knew over-60s were vulnerable to severe complications from coronavirus. After five years of waiting for her state pension, one woman said to me: The robbery of my state pension has created cumulative damages to all aspects of my life despite now being in receipt of it. No amount of compensation will ever make up for the imprisonment neglect and losses, I have suffered during an almost five year wait.”

Ms Welch said the Court of Appeal was able to make their decision on the case, which will last for two days, on Wednesday but she could not be sure whether they would do so.

The case involves Julie Delve and Karen Glynn, two women hit by the state pension age rise supported by BackTo60, who took the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to court back in 2019.

The women argued the changes were discriminatory on the basis of both sex and age and said they were not given sufficient notice about the pension age rise, which was accelerated in 2010 and saw women reach parity with men, at 65, in 2018.

Judges at the Royal Courts of Justice ruled on the side of the government – rejecting the women’s claims on all grounds.

Julia Holland, an unemployed visual merchandiser who was pushed into severe destitution by the state pension age increasing, told The Independent she was hopeful the case would have a positive result.

The 65-year-old, who lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, said: “I am very apprehensive but excited as I feel we will all get a positive outcome. It is important that Backto60 win this as it was a real injustice by the government, and if we don’t put it right, it leaves the gateway to other rights being misused.

“I will lose faith in humanity and the government if we do not get our money back. I and many thousands of women will be left with nothing. No hope. No money. No life.”

Ms Holland previously said she has been forced to pick between eating or heating and cannot afford the bus fare to travel around due to the state pension age rising.

“My son died in his sleep,” she said. “Since then my life has been so hard financially, as well as mentally. Trying to handle things on my own, trying to support myself. So at 65, I still have some months to go before I can retire, but I have had enough. If I could have retired when I thought I could, life would have been a little easier, to say the least. I had no time to prepare for the robbery that took place. I am now going from one temp job to the next on a minimum wage. At the moment I am on universal credit. I cannot go out or use my gas as I cannot afford the cost. I live on bread and jam. I watch TV in the dark as I am frightened of having my electricity turned off, again.”

The United Nations has previously said women hit by the state pension age change are at increased risk of “poverty, homelessness and financial hardship” as a result.

Pamela Satchwell, who lost her home and was forced to sell jewellery her deceased husband bought her to afford food and electricity in the wake of the state pension age increase, told The Independent she was highly anxious about the court case.

The 66-year-old, who lives just outside of Blackpool, said: “I feel very stressed about the court case tomorrow. I am hoping the judges can see the desperate plight of 1950’s women. The evidence is overwhelming against consecutive governments and it’s about time they did the right thing. The magic money tree is out, so they should use it to compensate us for a political decision which has ruined so many lives.”

Ms Satchwell, who previously worked as a civil servant and then as a teacher, said she was left with a mortgage and a great deal of debt after her husband died.

She said: “It was a case of heat or eat. I ended up going to the food bank. In the end, I couldn’t pay the mortgage so the mortgage company made me sell my house. I even had to sell the bits of jewellery my husband bought me to buy food and electricity. Sometimes, I’ve thought it would be easier if I wasn’t here. Coronavirus has made life harder. I can’t see an end to this. I’m stuck in a flat. I have arthritis. I suffer from panic attacks and agoraphobia. I feel the four walls are holding me up. I’m extremely stressed. I’m not sleeping. I’m frightened to go to the doctor as I don’t want to get the virus. I’m on antidepressant tablets and high blood pressure tablets. I have absolutely no confidence.”

Ms Satchwell said she will be “absolutely elated” if BackTo60 win the court case, but argued it was important not to forget that there are many women who are no longer alive who will never get their pension.

“We are fighting for them too,” she added. “Money can never make up for what we have lost in the past six years. Our homes. Our health. Our happiness.”