Mike German AM Demands Pensions Justice for Women in Gwent

10.09.44am GMT Tue 8th Nov 2005

Welcoming the launch of the Women and Pensions Network Michael German AM is calling on the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to end the failure of the current pension system for women and carers.

Mike German's call comes after a report published last week by the Department of Work and Pensions showed that it will be 2025 before men and women have similar levels of entitlement to the basic state pension. This is partly because the levels of entitlement amongst men are expected to fall.

Only 24% of women retiring today are entitled to a full basic State Pension on the basis of their own contributions, compared to just less than 90% of men.

That means that, unless there is radical change to the pension system, most of the 44,547 women aged between 45 and 59 in Gwent will effectively be discriminated against, leaving them with poorer pensions when they retire.

Mike German AM, said:

"These figures show that John Hutton, the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has a huge challenge ahead of him.

"For the millions of women already retired and living in poverty because of the injustice of the current pension system and for the millions of women who will be retiring over the next 20 years, urgent and radical action must be taken.

"Rather than continuing to tinker with the system of National Insurance contributions, the Government should establish a Citizen's Pension, where entitlement is based on long term UK residency."