MORE woman in South Ayrshire are expected to be affected by the state pension increase between 2037 and 2039.

Latest figures from the House of Commons reveal that the number of women affected in Ayr, Carrick, Cumnock will be 4,900 compared to 4,500 men. 

In Central Ayrshire 5,100 women are expected to suffer from the changes compared to 4,400 men.

On August 1 the Ayrshire WASPI Campaign welcomed the Institute for Fiscal Studies report on the female State Pension Age, household incomes and Government finances.

The IFS’ principal finding that increases to the female State Pension Age has already boosted the Government’s finances by £5.1bn per year.

Commenting on the report, WASPI Director, Jane Cowley said:“Once again, this shows that the Government has implemented State Pension Age reforms without adequately considering the full impact of these changes on the women affected.

“Whether it is the 3.5 million WASPI women who were not given sufficient warning of rises to their State Pension Age, or the sharp rise in income poverty among 60 to 62-year-old women, the Government needs to sit up and start realising that its changes have devastating consequences on the women affected.

“Yet again, it is women who are paying the price for the Government’s pension reforms. This simply isn’t good enough when the UK already has one of the biggest pension pay gaps in Europe.”

WASPI stands for Women Against State Pension Inequality. The campaign has over 70,000 supporters angry about women given no notice to save for the new state retirement age, in some cases now 66.

Further information available at www.waspi.co.uk and on the WASPI Facebook page.