PEMBROKESHIRE members of campaign group WASPI joined over 6,000 protestors last Wednesday (March 8) at a demonstration in Westminster.

Taking place on budget day, WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) supporters listened to speeches from politicians and activists who back their campaign.

The group aims to highlight concerns over changes to the state pension scheme for women born in the 1950s.

Jackie Gilderdale from Pembrokeshire WASPI believes this has had a “devastating impact” on women who had little time to plan.

“The majority of women protesting have worked hard all their lives, had scrimped and saved and brought up their families through bad times and good, only to find that the lack of notice about these changes has destroyed their retirement plans and left many in real financial hardship,” she said.

“It is fitting that on Wednesday, March 8 it was also International Women’s Day.

“It was a good time to take stock of the achievements of women, but also to consider the barriers and issues still facing them.

“This is an issue which affect millions of older women in this country and one that needs to be urgently addressed.”

To coincide with the rally, the law firm representing WASPI, Bindmans, wrote a letter to the government laying out a list of demands.

A spokesperson from the firm said: “For too long the women of WASPI have patiently and courteously sought to engage with the government to obtain redress for the very serious injustices brought about by successive governments’ failure properly to communicate the changes to the state pension age.

“Those calls have, unfortunately, fallen upon deaf ears.

“Our clients have therefore been forced to send formal legal correspondence to the government to call for concrete action.”

The Pembrokeshire WASPI Supporters Group was set up a year ago. It is estimated that there are 3,800 women affected locally by the pension changes.

The group’s next meeting is on Saturday, March 25 at 10.30am at Bethesda Church Hall, Haverfordwest.