Pension campaigners from Ceredigion were among hundreds of purple-clad 1950s women who flocked to London on International Women’s Day 8 March to highlight their campaign for pension justice.

They joined a rally in Parliament Square organised by 1950s Women United to remind politicians that they are still fighting for compensation for the lack of notice about the increase in their state pension age. The failure to notify women properly has already been classed as maladministration by the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman.

Ceredigion Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) members Rachel Nicholas and Christine Evans got up at 3.00 am to catch the campaign coach from Fishguard. “As soon as we got on the coach it started to snow,” said Christine from Aberystwyth. “At one point the driver thought we would have to turn back. But we ploughed on and by the time we reached London the snow had turned to rain. We were greeted by a sea of purple brollies in Parliament Square.”

“There was a fantastic crowd of women dressed in purple,” added Rachel from Cardigan. “It was a brilliant atmosphere and it was great to meet women from all over the country. It’s obvious that women still feel very strongly that we have been mistreated. This rally has made it clear that we won’t give up until we get fair and fast compensation for the lack of notice of the changes to our pension age”.

WASPI ceredigion
Rachel Nicholas and Christine Evans at rally (WASPI Ceredigion)

The campaigners were greeted by Plaid Cymru MP for Arfon Hywel Williams who came to show support for the WASPI Campaign.

Ceredigion MP Ben Lake said: “I was disappointed not to be at Westminster yesterday to meet with constituents at the pensions protest, but I am glad that my colleague Hywel Williams MP was able to greet the campaigners in my absence. The turnout and support for this rally shows the strength of feeling and frustration that remains amongst 1950’s women at the lack of action from the UK Government, and I fully support the campaigners in their continued fight for justice and compensation.”

A Judicial Review to mount a legal challenge to the Ombudsman’s approach and the decisions in his Stage 2 report was started last week by another campaign group.