Agenda item

"That Council:

1.    Notes that hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little to no personal notification of the changes. In some cases, women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age.

2.    Further notes that many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship with their retirement plans has been significantly changed. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment. Women born in this decade are suffering financially.

3.    Understands that these women have paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60 and that it is not the pension age itself that is in dispute - it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time;

4.    Agrees that the rise in the women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements;

5.    Calls upon the UK Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born in the 1950s, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification; and

6.    Instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to outline the council’s position."

The Council had before it the following notice of motion by Councillor Flynn:-

“This Council:

1.           notes that hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little to no personal notification of the changes. In some cases, women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age;

2.           further notes that many women born in the 1950's were living in hardship with their retirement plans having been significantly changed. Many of these women were already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment. Women born in this decade were suffering financially;

3.           understands that these women had paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60 and that it was not the pension age itself that was in dispute - it was widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time;

4.           agrees that the rise in the women's state pension age had been too rapid and had happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements;

5.           calls upon the UK Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born in the 1950s, who had unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification; and

6.           instructs the Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to outline the council’s position.

Councillor Flynn moved, seconded by Councillor Mennie:-

That the Council approve the notice of motion.

Councillor Laing moved as an amendment, seconded by Councillor Lumsden:-

            That the Council -

(a)          agree the notice of motion;

(b)          note that Section 24 of the Scotland Act 2016 amends the Scotland Act 1998, allowing the Scottish Parliament to introduce Discretionary payments to top up reserved benefits to an individual who is entitled to a reserved benefit and appears to require financial assistance in addition to any amount the individual receives by way of reserved benefit;

(c)          note the 1998 Act, as amended, defines reserved benefit as, “a benefit which is to any extent a reserved matter;

(d)          note that the 1998 Act (as amended by Section 28 of the Scotland Act 2016) allows the Scottish Parliament to create new benefits which could include WASPI women; and

(e)          therefore, agree to instruct the Chief Executive to write to the First Minister urging the Scottish Government to use the powers of the Scottish Parliament to provide financial assistance to WASPI women should the UK Government fail to act.

On a division, there voted:-

For the motion  (19)  -  Councillors Al-Samarai, Allard MEP, Alphonse, Cameron, Cooke, Copland, Cormie, Jackie Dunbar, Flynn, Henrickson, Hutchison, MacGregor, McLellan, McRae, Mennie, Alexander Nicoll, Audrey Nicoll, Noble and Townson.

For the amendment  (26)  -  Lord Provost; Depute Provost; and Councillors Allan, Bell, Boulton, Cross, Delaney, Donnelly, Lesley Dunbar, Duncan, Graham, Grant, Greig, Houghton, Imrie, John, Laing, Lumsden, Macdonald, MacKenzie, Malik, Mason MSP, Reynolds, Sellar, Wheeler and Yuill.

The Council resolved:-

to adopt the amendment.

- BARNEY CROCKETT, Lord Provost.