Barbara has called on Conservative Ministers to think again on the acceleration of State Pension Age increases, which a former Pensions Minister now admits was “a bad decision”. The changes led to the State Pension Age increases of up to 6 years for women born in the 1950s but with little or no notice being given by the Government to the women affected.

Barbara spoke in a debate in Parliament about the impact the Coalition Government’s “bad decision” was having on the lives of women affected.

Barbara said:

“The former Pensions Minister Steve Webb has admitted making “a bad decision” and that decision is costing the women affected dearly. Steve Webb has now admitted that he was not properly briefed by Civil Servants and he did not realise the full impact of the changes.

“I have been contacted by constituents who are now struggling financially due to the changes in pension age. They are bearing the cost of this change made by the Coalition Government.

“I have called on the Government to think again and come up with the transitional protection that should have been considered when these changes were made in 2011.”