Liberal Democrats Deliver Fairer Pensions for Women

Even the Guardian, the paper that's been so critical of the Coalition in general and the Lib Dems in particular, these past two years, has had to run this story. This is the announcement that many of us have wanted to see for as long as we've been politically active. That women who take time out of the labour market to care for children or sick relatives will not be penalised in their old age.

This is an example of the Coalition delivering a major benefit to mainly women. And although it's Iain Duncan Smith who's quoted in the article, make no mistake, it was Liberal Democrat Pensions expert Rt Hon Prof Steve Webb MP who put this together. This is the man who, when in opposition, found fault with the way some women's pensions had been calculated and got the DWP to correct the anomaly, thus giving many women a pension boost of more than £1000. So Steve Webb has a a good track record for getting justice for women pensioners.

It has always been a horrendous injustice that women who take on caring roles that would cost the State a fortune if they didn't, were penalised in old age for doing so. Liberal Democrats have been arguing for decades for this to be changed - and as soon as we got into a position with the power to do something about it we sort it out. That's a major step forward for fairness, social justice and liberal values - just like it says on the can!

Having taken the controversial step of going into a coalition the Liberal Democrats have not only enured that the UK has relative financial stability but are now exerting considerable leverage on social issues too. It is the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government who are responsible for prople paying less tax, for an increase in the State Pension by £5.30 a week, and for changing a fundamentally unfair Pensions system.

(Based on an article by Caron Lindsay in Liberal Democrat Voice on 12th May 2012)