Women urged to join pension fight

A campaign for women born in the 1950s whose UK state pension ages were unexpectedly hiked is urging women in France to join its international group ( facebook.com/groups/Francewaspi ).

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Since 2015 Waspi has been seeking compensation due to pension ages being raised by up to six years. They say they had little prior notice, other than notices in newspapers that most did not see.

Waspi International spokeswoman Lynda Armstrong lives in Ariège and has just started receiving her pension “four years late”. She said many members moved to France in expectation of drawing pensions, only to face years of having to pay for their healthcare and difficulties in finding employment or accessing benefits. The drop in the pound has also made it harder by lowering the value of sterling savings or other incomes.

She said: “Some stories are horrendous and one member had to sell up and go back to the UK.”

The international group hope the government will start to listen after they wrote to their UK MPs.