Hundreds of women protest outside Parliament about change in retirement age

Report from Granada Reports political corrrespondent Lise McNally

Women from across the North West joined crowds in London this afternoon to make their voices heard about the changing pension age.

The women, all born in the 1950s are part of the WASPI campaign(Women Against State Pension Inequality) that gathered at Parliament Square for the rally.

Protests are about delays to compensation after the Government increased the state pension age, which pushed many women's retirement age from 60 to 66.

Stella Colletti from Liverpool joined the demonstration held on International Women's Day saying 'It feels like we've been picked on because we're 'just women', that's how I feel' She says health issues are making working until the age of 65 particularly hard

'My body is letting me down in places and some days it is hard to get up, but I've got to get up and do my job because I don't have any money to fall back on'

The women rallied outside Parliament over the way in which the state pension was equalised, they want millions affected to be compensated.

Nearly 4 million are affected by the changes. The women affected say they had no warning, so could not make plans for the change in the finances.

The Department for Work and Pensions say

'The government decided over 25 years ago it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women.'

'Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have supported the actions of the DWP under successive governments dating back to 1995 and the Supreme Court refused the claimants permission to appeal.'