ALBA Demand Justice for Pensioners in Autumn Statement

“Tories should also not renege on triple lock increase to fund tax cuts”

ALBA PARTY has demanded that the UK Government do not renege on pension and benefit increases in order to fund tax cuts.

They have also called on the UK Government to finally answer the calls of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) by announcing in the Autumn Statement compensation for those women born in the the 1950s that have “suffered the injustice caused by the maladministration”.

A government watchdog is currently investigating the Department of Work and Pensions(DWP) failure to communicate the changes, with some women given as little as 12 months' notice.

WASPI has long been fighting for fair compensation and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) is currently looking into whether the DWP should pay full compensation for failing to adequately communicate the age changes. Campaigners are calling for a minimum of £10,000 compensation for every woman affected.

Neale Hanvey MP, Alba Party’s Westminster leader, has made the demands ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement this week. 

Benefits like the State Pension and Universal Credit go up every April in line with inflation of the previous September.

Alba Party’s Neale Hanvey MP has demanded that the UK Government do not “short change pensioners and punish the worst off in society to fund a tax cut for the most wealthy members of society” and he has called on the Chancellor to finally right the wrong that WASPI women across the country have faced.

Commenting ALBA Party Westminster Leader Neale Hanvey MP said: 

“Scotland has over one million pensioners, over 400,000 receive Universal Credit and thousands more rely on legacy benefits. This week’s Autumn Statement must guarantee the Triple lock on pensions to ensure that these entitlements increase in line with inflation. 

“The Tories would be further punishing some of the lowest income households in Scotland if they were to face a drastic real terms cut in pensions and benefits just so Rishi Sunak can fund an election bribe tax cut to the most well off in the country. 

“It is simply unacceptable to rob the meagre welfare payments of millions of Scots who live in an energy rich land, but where one third of households suffer from energy poverty. The Tories must not hit them with the double whammy of robbing Scotland’s resources and picking the pockets of our pensioners.

“It is unacceptable that successive UK Governments have treated WASPI women unfairly and unequally just because of their date of birth. The significant changes to their pensionable age was imposed with little or no notice and much faster and harder than anyone expected - it is time for the UK Government to use this week’s statement to announce compensation for every single woman whose pension and retirement plans were so cynically betrayed.”