A PENSIONS campaigner from Cardigan joined hundreds of 1950s-born women who gathered outside Parliament on Budget Day (Oct 30) to demand compensation for delayed state pensions.

On March 21, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman ruled that women born in the 1950s are due compensation due to the lack of adequate notice given by successive governments about the delay in their state pensions.

Rachel Nicholas, from the Ceredigion Preseli Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) group, travelled to London from Cardigan. She described the experience as deeply moving, saying: “It was a very emotional experience, joining thousands of purple-clad women who feel as strongly as I do that the injustice we have suffered must be compensated. We held a minute’s silence for the WASPI women who have passed away. However, spirits were still high. I’m really glad I went.”

WASPI National Chair Hilary Simpson expressed disappointment over the lack of progress: “Another Budget Day has come and gone with no news of compensation for 1950s women, despite our meeting with the Pensions Minister in early September. It’s now over seven months since the Ombudsman published his recommendations. The Government must treat this as a matter of urgency; a WASPI woman is dying every 13 minutes.”

The rally saw speeches from Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, John McDonnell MP, Richard Burgon MP, Lord Bryn Davies (co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s State Pension Inequality), and Jan Shortt, General Secretary of the National Pensioners’ Convention.

A HAVERFORDWEST man, Mervin Craig Bousie, 50, of Y Glyn, Hayscastle, appeared at Carmarthenshire Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Oct 30) to face multiple charges relating to a driving incident last year in Fishguard.

Bousie, driving an Audi TT, was involved in an accident on Llandeloy and Mathry, Fishguard, on Oct 20, 2023, where he failed to stop after causing damage to a Volvo bus.

The court heard that Bousie initially pleaded not guilty but later changed his plea to guilty for several offences.

The charges included driving without due care and attention, failure to stop after an accident, failure to report an accident, and driving without insurance.

Bousie received a £1,080 fine, with nine points added to his licence for the failure to stop and report offences. The court noted his guilty plea when determining the sentence.

In addition to these charges, Bousie was fined another £1,080 for driving without insurance. His driving record was endorsed, and notification was sent to the DVLA regarding his offences. The court allowed him to pay the total £2,160 fine in monthly instalments of £150, starting Nov 13, 2024.

FOLLOWING Wednesday’s Budget, elderly people across Wales are bracing for tougher times as Age UK Cymru warns of severe impacts from the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment for thousands of vulnerable individuals.

The charity expressed strong disappointment with the Chancellor’s announcements, stating the Budget failed to provide adequate support against soaring energy costs, which are already unaffordable for many older people on low incomes.

In a statement, Age UK Cymru cautioned that these cuts could leave numerous elderly individuals unable to afford necessary heating through the winter. A spokesperson for the charity said: “We’re hugely disappointed by the Chancellor’s lack of mitigating measures or financial support for the thousands of older people in Wales who will no longer receive the Winter Fuel Payment.”

The Winter Fuel Payment, a long-standing benefit helping older people manage heating expenses during the coldest months, has been either reduced or removed for many, leaving a significant gap in financial support.

Age UK Cymru is urging both the UK and Welsh governments to broaden eligibility for winter assistance, proposing that benefits recipients, including those on Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Attendance Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, and Carer’s Allowance, should qualify for Winter Fuel Payments.

While the charity presses for expanded eligibility, they also recognize that current criteria still risk leaving some of the most vulnerable without help. To address this, Age UK Cymru suggests the UK Government adopt data-matching techniques to more accurately identify and automatically extend Winter Fuel Payments to low-income individuals in need.

Older People’s Commissioner for Wales

Responding to the Budget, Older People’s Commissioner for Wales, Rhian Bowen-Davies, said: “A number of announcements in today’s budget are to be welcomed, including increased investment in public services, and additional funding for the Welsh Government.

“However, it is disappointing that despite using the budget to raise an estimated £40bn, the Chancellor has decided not to reverse her decision to means test the Winter Fuel Payment, and did not announce any specific support to mitigate its impact.

“This decision will result in hundreds of thousands of older people missing out on crucial financial support, and many older people have told me they are hugely worried about the effect this will have on their health and well-being.

“In my view, the Chancellor has missed an opportunity to demonstrate she has listened to the concerns raised by older people and stakeholders, and, more importantly, to take action to ensure people do not miss out on the support they need.”

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