Campaigners lose appeal to reverse women’s state pension age rise
Campaigners have lost another battle in their bid to reverse the women’s pension age rise, with their appeal rejected by judges on Tuesday morning.
The Court of Appeal upheld the government’s decision to hike the state pension age of women born in the 1950s up to 66, despite protests from numerous campaign groups.
Organisations such as BackTo60 and Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) have been calling for women to be reimbursed for pension payments they have missed due to the changes.
Some groups have also argued that increasing the pension age was unlawful discrimination on the basis of age and sex, and that insufficient notice was provided.
However, after losing a High Court case against the government, their appeal has now also been dismissed.
The judges stated: “The Court unanimously dismisses the appeal, holding that adopting the same state pension age for men and women does not amount to unlawful discrimination under either EU law or the Human Rights Convention.
“The Court considers whether there is any legal obligation on the Respondent to notify people of the change to their pension age and holds that in any event the Divisional Court was entitled to conclude on the evidence that the publicity campaign implemented by the DWP had been adequate and reasonable.
“Finally, the Court holds that the application for judicial review had been made substantially out of time and the long delay in bringing the proceedings would have precluded the grant of any remedy even if the grounds of challenge had been made out.”
Around four million women born in the 1950s have been affected by the pension changes; which according to ministers would cost as much £181bn to fully reverse.
Campaigners have stated they will now be taking the issue to Supreme Court – the final court of appeal in the UK for civil cases.