The UK government could “reverse its mistakes” and “deliver dignity in retirement” for women affected by state pension age changes for £8bn, the SNP has argued.

The SNP agrees with the equalisation of the state pension age do not support the “unfair manner in which these changes were made in the 2011 Pensions Act”. Around 2.6 million women were affected by the accelerated pace and many will receive their pension years later than expected.

“Our research has found that all this could be done at a fraction of the cost the UK government has been perpetuating. For £8bn, as opposed to the £30bn predicted by the UK government, we could to return to the original timetable set out in the 1995 Pensions Act – which would go some way to ending the gross injustice served to these women and would help to alleviate pensioner poverty,” the SNP said.

“The Tories must take responsibility for this gross injustice. The issue has been widely debated in the House of Commons, and the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) groups have worked tirelessly to campaign for the introduction of fair transitional measures, but the UK government has refused to act. Women born in the 1950’s and affected by these changes are feeling the hardship now and need action, and since the Tories refused to act the SNP decided to do the necessary work ourselves to find a solution.

“We hope that this report will be welcomed by the UK government and convince them to at last act to end this inequality. It’s time for the Tories to face up-to reality; pensions are not a benefit, they are a contract and the UK government has broken that contract – but they can fix it.”

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