News

WASPI unaffected by appeal’s failure

Published

6 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).

Community

Weather presenter spotted filming in Pembrokeshire

Published

4 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A WELL-KNOWN Welsh weather presenter was spotted in Pembrokeshire as he filmed scenes for a new series celebrating the county’s coastline.

Derek Brockway, who has been a familiar face on BBC Wales since 1995, was in St Davids recently working on another instalment of his popular walking series along the Pembrokeshire Coast.

Local resident Thomas Tudor said it was “lovely” to meet the broadcaster during filming, posing for a photograph alongside his mother, Beryl Tudor, and sister, Bethan Thomas Price.

Brockway, who is based at BBC Cymru Wales in Cardiff, is widely known not only for his weather forecasts across television, radio and online, but also for his programmes showcasing Wales’ landscapes and coastal paths.

The latest filming in St Davids is expected to form part of an upcoming series highlighting the natural beauty and walking routes of Pembrokeshire, an area long regarded as one of the jewels in Wales’ tourism crown.

Ministry of Defence

Defence families in Wales to save up to £6,000 under new childcare scheme

Published

5 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A MAJOR new childcare support scheme for Armed Forces families will be rolled out across Wales from September 2026, the UK Government has announced.

The initiative is expected to save eligible families up to £6,000 per child each year, providing a significant boost to household finances amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures.

The scheme will be delivered through the Ministry of Defence’s existing Early Years childcare reimbursement system and will bring Wales in line with the level of support already available to forces families in England.

Today, 19/03/2026 The Secretary of State for Defence John Healey visited Dreghorn Barracks, Edinburgh, home to 3rd Battalion the Rifles. He met with families to launch a new scheme for Defence Families in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ministers say the move is part of a wider effort to improve recruitment and retention in the Armed Forces, with childcare costs identified as a key pressure affecting morale.

The new support will cover children from nine months old until they reach three years of age in Wales and Scotland, and up to four years old in Northern Ireland.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP announced the scheme during a visit to Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh.

He said: “Our Armed Forces families are at the heart of our nation’s security. As the demands on defence increase, it is right that we step up our support for those who serve.

“This offer will ensure more military families get the childcare support they need, wherever they are posted.”

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens added: “Service families in Wales make huge sacrifices and deserve the best possible support.

“They contribute not only to our national security but also to the Welsh economy. This scheme delivers meaningful help with the cost of childcare.”

The scheme will reimburse the difference in early years childcare costs for eligible working families. To qualify, both parents must be in employment and meet the income thresholds required for a Tax-Free Childcare account.

Hundreds of families across Wales are expected to benefit.

The announcement forms part of a broader package of support introduced since July 2024, including improved military housing, the largest Armed Forces pay rise in two decades, and plans to strengthen the Armed Forces Covenant in law.

Further details will be provided in the coming months, with families encouraged to begin considering childcare arrangements ahead of the scheme’s launch.

Community

Broad Haven volunteers secure ‘national asset’ status for nature reserve

Published

5 hours ago

March 22, 2026

Tom Sinclair

A SMALL stretch of woodland and former opencast coal mine has been transformed into a nationally recognised biodiversity site, in a major first for Wales.

The Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve has been awarded ‘Naturfa’ status, becoming the first community-managed site in Wales to receive the designation.

The recognition, confirmed by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies, classifies the reserve as an “Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measure” (OECM). This means the volunteer-led work of the Support the Boardwalk group will now contribute directly to Wales’ 30×30 target – the global commitment to protect 30% of land, freshwater and sea for nature by 2030.

In a further boost, the site has also been included in the National Forest for Wales, recognising its role in strengthening a connected network of woodlands and habitats across the country.

Once a simple local walkway, the Slash Pond has developed into a thriving wildlife haven. The reserve now supports a wide range of species, including critically endangered European eels, otters, ten species of bat, and more than fifty species of birds, alongside diverse aquatic plants and insects.

Huw Irranca-Davies said: “These special places are a testament to the care and dedication of people working on the ground – securing a legacy for future generations. Nature can only thrive where habitats are resilient, protected and effectively managed.”

The new status is expected to unlock future funding opportunities, supporting long-term plans for maintaining the boardwalk, monitoring biodiversity and water quality, installing new signage, and expanding environmental education work with Broad Haven Primary School and the wider Havens community.

Andy Drumm, a volunteer with Support the Boardwalk, said: “We’ve always known how special the Slash Pond is, but this recognition puts it firmly on the map as a national asset. It’s a tribute to years of hard work and shows that local communities can lead the way in tackling the nature crisis.”

To mark the achievement, a Spring Family Fun Day will take place on Friday (May 9) from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Slash Pond car park.

The event will feature guided nature walks, pond dipping, a wildlife treasure trail, live music, and family activities including crafts and face painting. The official unveiling of the Naturfa certificate and new reserve branding will also take place, alongside the launch of a new book, From Culm to Calm: A History of the Slash Pond by local author David Meanwell.

Karen Riggs, a long-time volunteer, said: “This achievement belongs to everyone in Broad Haven who has supported the site over the years. We’re not just celebrating a new title – we’re celebrating what our community has built together.”

The day will also see the installation of new benches at the observation decks and the launch of a floating island habitat to support wildfowl and other bird species. Visitors will also be invited to share feedback on plans for an improved picnic area designed to withstand local flooding.

Naturfa is a Welsh Government initiative recognising areas outside traditional protected sites, such as SSSIs, that are managed in ways which deliver long-term benefits for biodiversity.

The Slash Pond Community Nature Reserve is managed by the Support the Boardwalk group in partnership with The Havens Community Council, and is maintained entirely by volunteers.

Further information and updates are available via the Support the Boardwalk Facebook page.