Grandmothers who can't help out because of increase in State Pension age

It is true that the government underestimates the role of grandparents and their huge contribution to society in terms of child care and voluntary work. The longer retirement is delayed the more the state will need to fill these gaps - or more likely not. I wish you well with your demonstration.

Thank you for your good wishes. And indeed many of this generation are carers for their elderly parents or would like to be.

I'd love to join you as I'm one of the women having to wait an extra six years for my state pension.
I'm in the very fortunate position of having a good occupational pension, but that has nothing to do with the government and their depriving us of what is rightfully ours.
I wish you well in your endeavours, but can't attend your Demo as I'm over 200 miles away!

I'm a 1950s woman too. Not in employment now at 61 and looking after my DGC, but not eligible for my state pension till I'm 66. I couldn't do this without my DH and my small company pension, so I'm luckier than many. With 41 years of NI contributions paid, I feel cheated. I've got my train booked for the 29th and my WASPI sash ready to go!

I'm 205 miles away myself, Juggernaut (I just googled it!) and there are lots of women travelling down from Scotland. Even some flying in especially from Italy and Spain. Though I appreciate not everyone can make it, for various reasons.

I would love to join you as it affects me too, but why a Wednesday? - Many of those concerned are obviously working that day?

Because it has to be a day when MPs are there, and they wouldn't be on a weekend. We're going to lobby our MPs from 1.30pm.

I'm not sure why it couldn't have been during a half term holiday though, so that all the school staff affected could have gone. Or perhaps Parliament is always closed then too?

Aha, Maggiemaybe, you guessed my job!

Yes, school staff would have been more plentiful during half-term or even during the summer holidays.
Sorry, we can't take unauthorised absences!!

I am afraid our MP's take all the school holidays ( it would be more convenient for me too) and call it Parliamentary recess! Wednesday's are PM's questions so most MP's are in London.

Well, those of us who are there will just have to represent those who can't be - it looks as though there's going to be a good turn-out.

Can't join you, I'm afraid, as I do get to look after my grandson on Wednesdays. Good luck, though. I am lucky to have a decent pension and still be able to work (self-employed now) a little to supplement it, but won't get the State pension for another 5 years. As with so many of the Government's policies, the repercussions just have not been thought through. What is going to happen when people have to work on into their 70's? Who will fill the gaps in child/elder care then? It's jot just about the financial unfairness to us women who were born in the 50's (although money seems to be the only thing this lot of politicians can think about), it's about the knock effect on families and society as a whole. I'll be looking out for the media reports on the demo - although given the bias of the Beeb and the press, I doubt there'll be very much to see and read.

Don’t worry if you can’t get to London on the day. You can still help by writing to your MP and explaining how the loss of your State Pension income has affected you. You can find your MP on the WriteToThem website, tap in your postcode and a letter addressed to your MP will come up ready for you. The WriteToThem website also chases them up for a response. www.writetothem.com/

I am not one who is losing out but know many people who are.

I will write to my MP also.

I have already written to my MP, but as he's David Cameron it's pretty much a waste of time! Mind you, I only wrote about the financial implications for me, maybe a letter detailing the financial implications for the future of society as a whole would be better e.g.cost to the NHS due to older people becoming ill through working longer, cost to businesses of more people being off sick, younger people out of work so more benefits to be paid out and less tax revenue, less housing stock due to older people putting off downsizing, less revenue for retirement businesses as older people won't need them, less consumer spending because young people won't have much disposable income because they won't have jobs and older people tend not to spend so much because they already have everything they need...I could go on and on!

Thank you FarNorth and dramatictessa - I think going on and on is a great idea - eventually they will have to listen. A supporting MP said that MPs take notice of a deluge of letters through their letterbox so in this case, a letter gets more results than emails. Thanks again.

Waspi have already asked for letters to Stephen Crabb via own MP but he said in Parliament today that the issue would not be revisited. New Minister same old same old....

Good luck with the demo. I don't get my state pension till 66, luckily survive on husbands pension and because we both worked ,we paid our mortgage off a few years back. If we still had the mortgage, I would still be working. I hope you all have a succesfull campaign, I am just sorry I can not join you all.

Maggiemaybe
When I said I'm more than 200 miles from London, it was a rough guess, I just googled it, 233.3 miles!
The fact that there are women travelling down from Scotland and some flying in from Spain and Italy for the occasion is very impressive, but maybe they don't have the medical issues I live with.
There are many reasons why some people can only support the campaign from a distance. Telling me that there are women travelling from Scotland/Spain/Italy does not miraculously remove the pain from my hips, legs and feet, therefore a little more understanding of the fact that not all of us are fit enough to travel to London would be appreciated!
As soon as the increase in women's state pension age was mentioned I started lobbying my MP, and tried desperately to get a campaign started, but at that time women just didn't seem to be interested!
I just don't understand why women didn't realise years ago that we were being deprived of up to about £37,000. Could you imagine what would have happened if this had affected men rather than women, there'd probably have been another general strike!

Is there a petition I could sign like 38 degrees? I'm too poor to be able to buy the train ticket to London.

I have to wait until my DH is 67 (he missed the 6 April 2016 cut off) as the State Pension for couples is now calculated on the age of the younger spouse. I am not 65 for another three years.

Universal Credit is going to replace Working Tax Credit but the new rules state it can only be claimed by those in work up to the age of 60. We are on a fairly low income so that's a going to be a double whammy for us.

It's not fair especially since we have always paid into the system. Good luck with the demo JP.

Well, Juggernaut, thank you for clarifying your health issues. However, you clearly stated can't attend your Demo as I'm over 200 miles away!, without any mention at all of any health problems, so how did my comments deserve your rude reply? Especially as I also stated I appreciate not everyone can make it, for various reasons and added that those of us who could go would represent those who couldn't.

The latest online petition closed recently with 193,185 signatures after its six month run, CleopatraSoup. WASPI are now urging those who are going to the demo to download a paper petition and get it filled in, presumably to hand in on the day.

Maggie perhaps the answer lies in her name

Maggiemaybe
To be honest, I CBA'd to reply!