NEWSLETTER 2: WINTER 2002

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House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Welcome to the second newsletter! SWAPP has really taken off in the last few months: I have received hundreds of letters from women raising similar pensions concerns, and the campaign has attracted plenty of national and local media coverage. Margaret Watts and myself have also filmed a piece for the Channel 4 "Political Slot", to be broadcast on Wednesday 11th December after the 7 o'clock news.

Our Commons motion supporting SWAPP had attracted over 120 MPs' signatures by the end of the Parliamentary session in mid-November 2002. In order to keep the momentum going we have re-tabled the same motion in the new session, and more MPs are signing it every day. If you have not already asked your MP to back the campaign please ask him/her to sign Early Day Motion 131.

The Lib Dems will continue to campaign on women’s pensions, and I am currently discussing with the Equal Opportunities Commission the possibility of using legal action to pursue some of the issues. I will of course let SWAPP know of any progress that is made. In the meantime, do continue writing to your MP and the Government, and let’s keep up the pressure for greater justice in women’s pensions.

Steve Webb MP
Lib Dem Spokesman on Work and Pensions
 

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The feedback from our first SWAPP Newsletter was very positive.  I hope you will find this issue to be equally as informative and enjoyable.

I feel the campaign has gathered momentum over the months and we own much to Steve Webb Lib/Dem Spokesman for Pensions who has organised much of the publicity. However we must  keep  adding our voices to this campaign, particularly by responding to those that give unconstructive     criticism. If you feel able to get out your pen and paper, perhaps a few  people could do with some clarification of what an INFORMED CHOICE and CRYSTAL CLEAR has meant to us.

Throughout the past months I have received many letters, over 600 in all. The anomalies that many of you have faced within the pension system are varied. By far the largest group facing a shortfall in their pension are those that have at some time in their working lives paid the Married Woman’s Stamp. Many of you have told of private pensions that have not come to fruition.  Widows and  Divorcees have told of a different set of injustices that   affect them, all in all the letters I have received depict a grim future for many women in their pensionable years.

Some of you I have spoken to on the telephone others have had the pleasure of speaking to my husband, whom I might add, has given me tremendous support.

I would like to thank all of you who have helped, especially those who have talked on the Radio, I know this can be very nerve wracking as I have done this a few times and still get very nervous, its very hard not to introduce a sentence with um, um.

Many of the suggestions you have made to aid the campaign have been covered. I wish I could print more information for you to read but space is very limited, perhaps in our next Newsletter. 

Margaret Watts

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It’s  funny how time  slips away.   One  minute you're working and planning a future.    Then that future becomes the present and your plans have passed their sell-by date.   MW