2. 2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:32 pm on 2 May 2017.

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Photo of Jane Hutt Jane Hutt Labour 2:32, 2 May 2017

I thank Vikki Howells for that question. Indeed, only last week, I met with Kay Clarke, a leading campaigner in Barry, whom I first met when she came here to a demonstration on the steps of the Senedd, and I think, Vikki, you were welcoming them as Assembly Member for Cynon Valley. And I have since, as an Assembly Member, got very engaged in supporting this campaign. Just for everyone to be clear, WASPI is Women Against State Pension Age Inequality, and although pension matters are non-devolved and are the responsibility of the Department for Work and Pensions in the UK Government, nevertheless, the Welsh Government remains concerned about the disproportionate effect, as Vikki Howells has described, that this change is having on a significant number of women. They’ve had their state pension age raised significantly without effective or sufficient notification, leaving them very little time to reshape their lives, their plans and their finances, and are waiting a number of additional years to become eligible for their state pension, and for what we would describe clearly as their entitlement. So, again, this is something on which we would want to ensure that we do what we can within our powers and certainly add our voice to the WASPI campaign.