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| MPs debate changes to the Pensions Bill affecting women | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Government plans to make women wait longer for their state pension are being debated in the Commons later. | |
| The Pensions Bill would see the entitlement age for women rise from 60 to 65 by 2018, and then increase to 66 for both sexes by 2020. | The Pensions Bill would see the entitlement age for women rise from 60 to 65 by 2018, and then increase to 66 for both sexes by 2020. |
| Critics from all parties say it is unfair on about 330,000 women in their late 50s who will need to keep working. | Critics from all parties say it is unfair on about 330,000 women in their late 50s who will need to keep working. |
| Ministers are looking at ways of softening the impact but say the changes will go ahead. | Ministers are looking at ways of softening the impact but say the changes will go ahead. |
| However, the detail of any compromise which could help those women close to retirement are yet to be agreed, says the BBC's deputy political editor James Landale. | However, the detail of any compromise which could help those women close to retirement are yet to be agreed, says the BBC's deputy political editor James Landale. |
| Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith says he will stick to his timetable to raise and equalise the age when men and women can claim the state pension. | Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith says he will stick to his timetable to raise and equalise the age when men and women can claim the state pension. |
| A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "If we delayed the move to 66, it would cost the taxpayer £10bn and would be an unfair burden on the next generation." | A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "If we delayed the move to 66, it would cost the taxpayer £10bn and would be an unfair burden on the next generation." |
| Short notice | Short notice |
| Last year, Chancellor George Osborne announced plans to accelerate the rate at which women's pension age will rise to equal that of men, currently 65. | Last year, Chancellor George Osborne announced plans to accelerate the rate at which women's pension age will rise to equal that of men, currently 65. |
| The government finds itself in a bind over giving in to pressure to slow down the changes in pension age for women. | The government finds itself in a bind over giving in to pressure to slow down the changes in pension age for women. |
| The problem is they've had to perform so many U-turns recently - health, sentencing, forests, etc - it is becoming a defining character of the coalition. | The problem is they've had to perform so many U-turns recently - health, sentencing, forests, etc - it is becoming a defining character of the coalition. |
| There must also be a concern that to backtrack over women's pensions would also be seen as a sign of weakness at a time when ministers are seeking to square up to the unions over public sector pensions. | There must also be a concern that to backtrack over women's pensions would also be seen as a sign of weakness at a time when ministers are seeking to square up to the unions over public sector pensions. |
| And yet politically there is little sense in finding yourself lined up against well regarded age charities and further exacerbating tensions within the coalition - for a problem that only involves a comparatively small number of women. | And yet politically there is little sense in finding yourself lined up against well regarded age charities and further exacerbating tensions within the coalition - for a problem that only involves a comparatively small number of women. |
| It may be too that with the possible threat of legal action ministers have no option but to pause and re-think. | It may be too that with the possible threat of legal action ministers have no option but to pause and re-think. |
| Certainly the government's critics are confident that whatever the government is saying now - it will eventually have to apply the handbrake. | Certainly the government's critics are confident that whatever the government is saying now - it will eventually have to apply the handbrake. |
| The previous Labour government had agreed to achieve equalisation by April 2020, but the coalition's plans will see it achieved by November 2018. | The previous Labour government had agreed to achieve equalisation by April 2020, but the coalition's plans will see it achieved by November 2018. |
| Ministers would then use this extra time to raise the pension age to 66 for everyone. | Ministers would then use this extra time to raise the pension age to 66 for everyone. |
| The critics say many women affected by the proposals will have to wait between 18 months and two years longer than expected before they get their state pensions. | The critics say many women affected by the proposals will have to wait between 18 months and two years longer than expected before they get their state pensions. |
| They also say the changes are unfair as some women are being given as little as five years' notice of the changes. | They also say the changes are unfair as some women are being given as little as five years' notice of the changes. |
| More than 170 MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for a rethink over the plans, including both Conservative and Liberal Democrat backbenchers. | More than 170 MPs have signed a Commons motion calling for a rethink over the plans, including both Conservative and Liberal Democrat backbenchers. |
| Lorely Burt, chair of the Lib Dem parliamentary party, said those affected "won't have time to plan their retirement and many will be financially a great deal worse off". | Lorely Burt, chair of the Lib Dem parliamentary party, said those affected "won't have time to plan their retirement and many will be financially a great deal worse off". |
| For Labour, shadow pensions minister Rachel Reeves said it was "simply wrong to punish women by moving the goal posts at this late stage". | For Labour, shadow pensions minister Rachel Reeves said it was "simply wrong to punish women by moving the goal posts at this late stage". |
| Conservative MP James Gray is among the Tories to want the coalition to think again. | Conservative MP James Gray is among the Tories to want the coalition to think again. |
| "Going around the corridors and tea rooms in Westminster talking to Tories, Lib Dems and of course Labour MPs they are saying this is an injustice being done to a small number of people," he said. | "Going around the corridors and tea rooms in Westminster talking to Tories, Lib Dems and of course Labour MPs they are saying this is an injustice being done to a small number of people," he said. |
| Meanwhile, Ros Altmann, director general of over-50s organisation Saga and a former government adviser on pensions, says the government could face a costly legal challenge if they did not make changes. | Meanwhile, Ros Altmann, director general of over-50s organisation Saga and a former government adviser on pensions, says the government could face a costly legal challenge if they did not make changes. |
| "Ministers must listen to reason on this issue," she said. | "Ministers must listen to reason on this issue," she said. |
| "The current plans are unfair and may, indeed, be illegal in public law terms, since they clearly do not give women adequate notice of the large changes in pension age that they face." | "The current plans are unfair and may, indeed, be illegal in public law terms, since they clearly do not give women adequate notice of the large changes in pension age that they face." |
| Oxford University professor of gerontology Sarah Harper believes the pensions age should be abolished. | Oxford University professor of gerontology Sarah Harper believes the pensions age should be abolished. |
| She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that life expectancy increases in Britain needed to be acknowledged but that they varied significantly. Depending on work and lifestyle, Prof Harper said, there could be an 11-year difference in life expectancy for men. | She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that life expectancy increases in Britain needed to be acknowledged but that they varied significantly. Depending on work and lifestyle, Prof Harper said, there could be an 11-year difference in life expectancy for men. |
| "One of the concerns is that if you just raise it in terms of age, we will have an increasing number who probably fall out of employment early - they end up on disability allowance rather than retiring with pride at a time when they have successfully completed their working life," she said. | "One of the concerns is that if you just raise it in terms of age, we will have an increasing number who probably fall out of employment early - they end up on disability allowance rather than retiring with pride at a time when they have successfully completed their working life," she said. |
| "A much more fair system would be to take it away from age and relate it instead to the years worked." | "A much more fair system would be to take it away from age and relate it instead to the years worked." |
| Prof Harper said if everyone had to contribute for 45 years, for example, a manual labourer with a lower life expectancy who had started work at 16 would probably still have 15 years of retirement, as would a professional who had entered the workforce later after further education. | Prof Harper said if everyone had to contribute for 45 years, for example, a manual labourer with a lower life expectancy who had started work at 16 would probably still have 15 years of retirement, as would a professional who had entered the workforce later after further education. |
| The Commons debate comes as union leaders are threatening industrial action over the government's proposals for public sector employees to work longer and pay more for less generous entitlements in retirement. | The Commons debate comes as union leaders are threatening industrial action over the government's proposals for public sector employees to work longer and pay more for less generous entitlements in retirement. |
| Ministers said negotiations were still ongoing but shadow chancellor Ed Balls accused Mr Osborne of being "desperate" to provoke industrial action so he could blame the unions for the weak economic recovery. | Ministers said negotiations were still ongoing but shadow chancellor Ed Balls accused Mr Osborne of being "desperate" to provoke industrial action so he could blame the unions for the weak economic recovery. |