Hands off our pensions: Barbara’s story

04.02.11 - Barbara Bates

My name is Barbara and I am 56.

From the age of 15, I have worked every day of my life, apart from a few years when I stayed at home to care for my disabled husband until his death in 2003.

Since 1995, I have thought that I would retire in 2018, when I will be 64. I have based all my plans for the future on this.

Last week, I discovered that the Government have moved the goalposts, so that people like me have to wait two additional years to retire. But we don’t have to accept this cut – will you join me in signing a petition against this decision?

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/handsoff

I now have to wait an extra two years to retire - in April 2020, when I will be 66.

I feel robbed - robbed of 2 years of freedom, and robbed of more than £10,000 that I would have received as my state pension. The basic state pension will be my only retirement income, and I have no extra means of coping financially. I will have no option but to try and carry on working.

I agree that women and men should get their state pension at the same age, but this was already happening. There is simply no need to impose this physical and financial burden on women like me, purely because of my age.

There are 500,000 women out there who will have to work for more than a year longer, and 33,000 who, like me, will have to work for an extra 2 years.

If you are one of these women who will have to work longer, or if you want to support me and other women like me, please take a moment to sign my petition.

http://www.unionstogether.org.uk/handsoff

I have osteoarthritis in my thumbs and wrists now, which makes the lifting and cleaning work in my job harder: I’m not sure how I’ll manage to the age of 66.

This move is unfair and unnecessary and it is not too late to tell the government that we will not accept it without a fight.