Govt will reconsider women's state pension changes

Pensions minister Steve Webb said the proposals to change the state pension age will be reconsidered.

The bill contains controversial changes to the state pension, including raising the state pension age to 66 by 2020.

The move will hit some women in their 50s disproportionately hard, and a petition run by Unions Together and signed by 100,000 people will be presented to the minister today in Westminster.

Webb said the government will "reflect" on women whose state pension age would rise by between one and two years under the new proposals.

No date for the second reading of the pensions bill has been set yet, but it is expected in the next few weeks.

Age UK has also taken action on state pensions today, encouraging women adversely affected by the proposed changes to lobby their MPs in Westminster from 1pm.

Zoe Lynch, partner at law firm Sackers, said: "Despite the Pensions Bill having been delayed, the Age UK march to prevent the rise in the pension age will go ahead as planned today.

"Steve Webb said the Government is now 'reflecting' on the planned increase, particularly for women's state pension age. Perhaps this gives Age UK reason to feel that the first skirmish in the battle has been won."

On 12 May, Webb faced harsh scrutiny from MPs during a Westminster Hall debate on the rising state pension age.

The debate formed part of mounting pressure to reconsider the changes, with 140 MPs signing an Early Day Motion asking the government to raise the state pension age more slowly than planned.

Rachel Reeves, shadow pensions minister, hinted last week there could be a Liberal Democrat rebellion over the controversial clause in the Pensions Bill, pointing to a lack of support for the changes amongst the Liberal backbenches.