News

WASPI unaffected by appeal’s failure

Published

4 years ago

September 18, 2020

A CAMPAIGN group for women born in the 1950s, whose state pension age has increased from 60-65, lost an appeal against a decision to deny them compensation for lost pension income.
Backto60 brought two test cases to the High Court last year when those cases were lost the group appealed. The Court of Appeal released its judgement rejecting the appeal on Monday, September 14.
The group’s campaign calls for a reinstatement of the age of 60 for women’s state pensions and compensation of the pension women have missed out on.
The Court found making the state pension age the same for men and women did not constitute unlawful discrimination.

WASPI CAMPAIGN UNCHANGED

The case’s failure will not affect the far better known and more widely-supported Women Against State Pensions Injustice (WASPI) campaign.
WASPI has long campaigned on the issues regarding the increase in the state pension age for women. They argue that setting aside any claim of discrimination, the UK Government failed in its duty to inform affected women adequately of the changes to the state pension age and the effect those changes would have on their pensions.
A statement issued by WASPI after the Backto60 legal challenge failed said: “Many women will be disappointed today at the judgement from the High Court.
“Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) will continue to campaign for what we believe is achievable and affordable. Compensation for women who have been unfairly disadvantaged with a rapid increase to their State Pension age (SPa).
“WASPI is not opposed to the equalisation of the SPa with men but it was done without adequate notice, leaving no time to make alternative arrangements. Women were informed directly some 14 years after the SPa was first changed, many only given 18 months’ notice, of up to a six-year increase, many others were not informed at all. This left their retirement plans shattered.
“The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is currently considering six sample cases of maladministration out of the thousands of complaints made to the DWP by WASPI women.”
Former Conservative Pensions Minister, Baroness Roz Altmann, said: “When Pensions Minister, I saw copies of letters written by the Government to millions of these women in 2003 and 2004 about their State Pension, which failed to highlight that their pension would not be paid at age 60. These official letters failed to highlight that these women’s pension would not start being paid at age 60. It merely informed them what State Pension they might receive when they reached State Pension Age, but they did not tell them what that age would be!
“Receiving a letter from the Pensions Department about their State Pension, which did not urge them to check what their State Pension Age would be, may have lulled them into a false sense of security that they would receive it from age 60.
“This looks like maladministration.”
During the election campaign last year, Boris Johnson pledged to place ‘fresh eyes’ on the issue and said he felt sympathetic to the WASPI campaigners. Asked on Tuesday about the progress of those promised considerations, he failed to answer.

THE APPEAL ISSUE

The main issue in the appeal was whether the changes to the state pension age brought in by Parliament from 1995 onwards, unlawfully discriminated against women. Backto60 argued, amongst other things, women born in the 1950s were less likely to have contributed to the state pension scheme or were disproportionately in lower-paid jobs than men.
The Pensions Act 1995 provided that a woman born before 6 April 1950 would still receive her state pension at age 60 but a woman born after that date would receive her pension on a specified date when she was aged between 60 and 65, depending on her date of birth. The Pensions Acts 2007, 2011 and 2014 then accelerated the move to age 65 as the state pension age for women and raised the state pension age for some men and women to 66, 67 or 68 depending on their date of birth.
Successive UK Governments made changes to address the massively-rising cost of state pensions.
When the state pension age was originally set, both pension ages were fixed at 65. When revised in 1940, women’s pension age was dropped to 60. At the time those ages were fixed, life expectancy meant the state pension was likely to be paid out for only a few years after retirement age. The lower age was fixed at 60 for women to reflect their then-dependence on a single male breadwinner in the family and the prevailing age difference between married couples.
In the post-war period, life expectancy increased, first gradually and then with increasing speed.
The boom in average life expectancy means the state pension is the largest single drain on the welfare budget – taking £111bn of it in the year 2018-19 (DWP figures). In comparison, payments for unemployment benefits totalled £2bn.
The UK Defence budget is around £28bn
In normal circumstances, the claims brought to the Court would have been barred due to the delay in bringing them. Time was extended to bring the claims. The question of the delay was, however, relevant only to the discretion whether to grant relief if unlawful discrimination was proved.
The long delay in bringing the claims made it impossible to fashion any practical remedy. The Court noted unchallenged expert evidence that the cost of reinstating pensions would exceed £200bn – more than seven times the total defence budget and around the same as the whole of the health and education budgets combined (Figures Office of Budget Responsibility).

News

Bird keepers in Wales urged to stay vigilant as avian flu cases rise

Published

3 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Tom Sinclair

BIRD KEEPERS across Wales are being warned to remain alert and implement biosecurity measures after a surge in avian influenza cases in poultry and kept birds across Great Britain.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has declared a regional Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) covering East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk. Within the AIPZ, mandatory enhanced biosecurity measures are in place to prevent the disease from spreading further and to protect flocks.

The UK is now in a period of heightened risk from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), prompting calls for increased vigilance from Welsh bird keepers.

Biosecurity is Key

Dr Richard Irvine, Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, highlighted the importance of biosecurity:
“The winter migration period significantly increases the risk to poultry and kept birds. Recent rises in confirmed cases of avian influenza in both wild and kept birds across the UK are deeply concerning.

“Maintaining scrupulous hygiene and biosecurity measures daily is the best defence against this highly infectious disease. I urge all bird keepers in Wales to act now to protect their flocks and prevent the spread of bird flu.

“Vigilance is essential. Any signs or suspicions of avian influenza in flocks must be reported immediately.”

Legal Requirements and Further Guidance

Bird keepers in Wales and England are now legally required to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). This registration allows APHA to provide timely updates and guidance during disease outbreaks, helping keepers make informed decisions to safeguard their birds.

Further advice, including a biosecurity self-assessment checklist, is available on the Welsh Government website.

The current AIPZ in England may expand, with housing measures and other mandatory protective actions under constant review as the disease situation develops.

Reporting and Resources

Dead wild birds should be reported to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77, and any suspicions of avian influenza in kept birds must be promptly reported to APHA on 0300 303 8268.

Details about current national risk levels for avian influenza, along with the evidence supporting these levels, can be found at gov.uk/birdflu. Additional information on disease control measures in England is available in Defra’s guidance, Bird flu: rules in disease control zones in England.

Zone declarations are accessible through the notifiable disease case finder.

By adopting rigorous biosecurity practices and reporting any concerns, bird keepers in Wales can help protect their flocks and reduce the spread of avian influenza.

Community

Ben Lake MP visits postal workers during Christmas rush

Published

5 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Tom Sinclair

BEN LAKE MP visited postal workers at the Llandysul Delivery Office last Friday (Dec 13) to show his support and gain insight into their operations during the festive season—the busiest time of the year for Royal Mail.

The holiday period sees Royal Mail handle around double its usual volume of letters and parcels, as people send Christmas cards and shop for gifts online. To meet this seasonal surge, the Llandysul Delivery Office has hired four extra vehicles, while Royal Mail nationally has recruited 16,000 temporary workers and introduced nearly 4,000 additional vans, trucks, and trailers.

During the visit, Ben Lake spoke with Ryan Goellnitz, Customer Operations Manager, about Royal Mail’s efforts to enhance convenience for customers. These include services like Parcel Collect—where posties collect parcels directly from customers’ doorsteps—and the introduction of over 5,000 new parcel drop-off points this year, including at Collect+ stores and parcel lockers.

Ryan Goellnitz said:
“It was great to have Ben visit our Delivery Office and show him how we are gearing up for our peak period. We are pulling out all the stops to deliver Christmas for our customers.”

Ben Lake, MP for Ceredigion Preseli, praised the dedication of the postal workers:
“It was a pleasure to visit the Llandysul Delivery Office and witness the incredible volume of post managed by Royal Mail, not only here but across the country. This is an essential service year-round, but the effort and planning to ensure smooth operations during Christmas are extraordinary.

“I am immensely grateful for their tireless efforts and dedication, which deserve to be fully recognised. The visit gave me real appreciation for the hard work and commitment of everyone involved.”

Royal Mail’s preparations for Christmas are a year-long effort, ensuring the postal service continues to meet the festive demand.

News

Pembrokeshire County Council achieve Insport Partnerships Gold Standard

Published

5 hours ago

December 18, 2024

Herald Sport

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL have recently achieved the insport Partnerships Gold Standard, recognising their commitment and passion to providing inclusive opportunities for disabled people across the local authority area.

‘insport’ is a Disability Sport Wales programme delivered with the support the of Sport Wales, which aims to support the physical activity, sport, and leisure sectors delivering inclusively of disabled people. The purpose of the insport programmes is to support the development of inclusive thinking, planning, development and delivery by everyone within an organisation so that ultimately, they will deliver across the spectrum to disabled and non-disabled people, at whatever level they wish to participate or compete. The intent is to facilitate and deliver cultural change in attitude, approach, and provision of physical activity (including sport) and wider opportunities for disabled people.

Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure have consistently developed their offers for disabled people locally, becoming the first local authority partner nationally to achieve the insport Partnerships Gold standard. Working with the natural, rural and coastal assets, the Sport Pembrokeshire & Pembrokeshire Leisure teams’ have done a fantastic job in navigating the opportunities and challenges to prioritise the inclusion of disabled people in leisure & community-based physical activity (including sport) opportunities. Ensuring that as many people as possible can be involved in sport and physical activity.

Achievement of the insport Partnerships Gold standard means that an inclusive approach to communities of disabled people is embedded within strategies, programmes, and thinking. This award is never the end of an organisation’s inclusion journey, and Disability Sport Wales will continue to support Pembrokeshire County Council as they continue to provide sector leading inclusive opportunities for disabled people.

Pembrokeshire have a number of excellent examples of collaborative work and partnerships supporting the delivery of strong inclusive programming across Pembrokeshire’s communities which add significant value to the area’s rich inclusive sporting heritage. These opportunities provide the initial steps on the pathway that many former and current Paralympic and Commonwealth Games Para athletes have taken from Pembrokeshire, including the Paris 2024 Paralympic Champion, Matt Bush; Paris 2024 Paralympic athlete, Jodie Grinham; 2022 Commonwealth Games medallist Lily Rice.

Tom Rogers (Governance & Partnership Director, Disability Sport Wales) said: “Pembrokeshire’s achievement of the insport Partnerships Gold standard is a remarkable milestone that highlights the unwavering commitment to inclusion in physical activity (including sport). This achievement recognises the efforts in creating opportunities that ensure everyone, regardless of ability, can participate and thrive in physical activity and sport at a level of their choosing.

Achieving the insport Partnerships Gold standard reflects the culture of inclusivity and recognises the excellent example for communities across Wales and beyond of an embedded culture of inclusion. Sport Pembrokeshire’s dedication to breaking down barriers and fostering an equitable and person centred approach to the delivery of physical activity is reflected across their programming. The commitment to inclusion exits across the Sport Pembrokeshire and Pembrokeshire Leisure teams’ and the achievement of this standard recognises the years of hard work by current and former team members, as well as excellent community led opportunities across the local authority area.

Congratulations on this significant achievement—your success paves the way for a brighter, more inclusive future in sport.”

Matt Freeman, Sport Pembrokeshire Manager said, “Pembrokeshire County Council is proud to achieve the prestigious insport Gold Standard, a recognition of our commitment to championing inclusive sport and physical activity across the county. This milestone, led by Sport Pembrokeshire – the Council’s sports development team – reflects the collaborative efforts of our partners to ensure opportunities for inclusive participation continue to grow. We remain dedicated to working with both new and existing partners to expand access and make inclusive provision a cornerstone of sport and physical activity in Pembrokeshire”.