State pension age changes left carer in her 60s ‘living hand to mouth’ | Personal Finance | Finance
Mary Hugman, a 66-year-old woman from Kent, is just one of the millions of women estimated to have been impacted by the state pension age change. The change saw the state pension age of women rise from 60 to align with men at 65, and then both increased by a further year to 66.
Some women, however, have argued they were not provided with ample notice about this matter, and have been affected financially, socially and emotionally as a result.
Express Money spoke exclusively with Ms Hugman, who offered insight into her circumstances.
She said: “I’ve got the maximum National Insurance contributions. My state pension is fully paid up.
“But I only got it last December – I haven’t even been receiving it for a whole year.”
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However, Ms Hugman was delivered a hammer blow when speaking with one of her friends one evening.
It was at this point she discovered she would only receive her state pension at the age of 66, as the rules had changed.
Ms Hugman continued: “I was shocked. I couldn’t take it in for a little while. I wondered what I was going to do.
“I contacted the MOD, but they said they couldn’t have me back, and they weren’t recruiting at the level I was before – I would’ve had to start from the beginning again.
“Not in a million years would I have left that job had I known. If I’d stayed, I would’ve had an extra eight years of company pension.
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“But I knew I had to have an retraining as a carer. I’m on a zero hour contract, on a minimum wage.
“It’s the not being told issue which is important. Even if you did want to go at 60, if you were aware of the change, you could have made provision.
“But to come out of the blue like that, it was shocking. All I can think is that we’ve been screwed.”
Ms Hugman explained she is not against raising the state pension age generally, and feels it is necessary given longer life expectancy.
However, she argues the matter of the state pension age change which impacted her and millions of others should be addressed.
She continued: “I think somebody needs to stand up and tackle this, even if it isn’t their immediate priority.
“You’d hope Liz Truss would have some allegiance with us, being a woman herself – but we’ll have to see what happens next.”
For now, Ms Hugman’s retirement plans have totally changed from what she originally intended.
She had hoped to be able to travel and have holidays, but with finances a particular squeeze, the 66-year-old feels this is no longer possible.
Ms Hugman also expressed her worry about the rising cost of living, and how it is impacting her on a day to day basis.
She added: “I am now finding I probably won’t be able to give up work any time soon, because the little I earn will have to go towards my heating bills come the winter.
“I’m not going to sit in my flat and freeze, and what little savings I had have gone. I’ve lived from hand to mouth. As the money comes in monthly, it goes out – it’s not a nice time. But I’m lucky that I can still work. Other women will not be in that situation and it could be worse.”
A DWP spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “The Government decided over 25 years ago that it was going to make the state pension age the same for men and women as a long-overdue move towards gender equality.
“Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have supported the actions of the DWP, under successive governments dating back to 1995, and the Supreme Court refused the claimants permission to appeal.”
