A COURT of Appeal hearing brought on by a group of local WASPI (Women Against State Pension Injustice) campaigners is set to take place today.

The hearing is crucial for the group - led by West Dunbartonshire local Liz Daly and supported by SNP MP Martin Docherty-Hughes - who were born in the mid to late 1950s, as they have been denied up to six of years of state pensions they paid into throughout their working lives as a result of a change in the Pensions Act.

Across the country, millions of 1950s-born women have had their state pension qualifying age changed up to six years with little or no notice, and an estimated 6,300 women in West Dunbartonshire alone face being up to £48,000 out of pocket.

Last year, the Reporter spoke about the original court ruling which dismissed the case of the WASPI campaigners who argued that the UK Government’s plans to accelerate pension age increases were unfairly discriminatory.

But now a fresh hearing will take place in the Court of Appeal.

Liz Daly of the WASPI campaigners said: “This is a more senior court; the justices have committed to looking at all the legal grounds again.

“WASPI groups all over the UK, including here in West Dunbartonshire, have contributed to the costs of bringing the case. We are very hopeful that this time the judgement will go in our favour.”

West Dunbartonshire MP, Martin Docherty-Hughes, commented: “The WASPI women have been treated shamefully by the UK government and the campaign has my continued support both here in West Dunbartonshire and at the House of Commons.

“The Tories cannot continue to ignore the 3.8 million women across the UK who are being robbed of their state pensions.

“The 1950s-born women who have worked hard all their lives deserve compensation for changes to the State Pension age.

“The UK government needs to stop dragging their heels and rectify this injustice.”

Last week the WASPI campaigners held a demonstration in Alexandria’s Christie Park supported by trade unions Unison and Unite, SSP councillor Jim Bollan and Martin Docherty-Hughes MP, where the campaigners laid a flower tribute to those women that lost their lives before reaching pensionable age.

A line on the note of the flowers reads: “Our fight is your fight.”

“I really hope that this time 1950s women will get the justice they deserve.” Liz continued, “They have been treated very unfairly. They paid into the National Insurance fund for decades, only to be told at the last minute that they would have to wait several more years for the pensions they were relying on from age 60, many dying before they reached pensionable age.”