Scottish women face missing out on up to £74 million through a pensions black hole.
Figures from the House of Commons library estimate that about 38,900 ladies will be hit by the UK Government’s switch to a single-tier pension scheme.
A Courier investigation reveals this will affect roughly 7,100 women across Courier Country at a potential cost of up to £13.5m.
Women born between April 1952 and July 1953 are due to retire before 2017 so will not be eligible for the new single-tier pension when it comes into force.
Instead, they will draw the basic weekly pension of £107.45 in today’s prices upon retirement. However, men born in the same period are due to retire in 2017, and so will be eligible for the new single-tier rate of £144. This means a number of women lose out on £36.55 a week about £1,900 a year compared to a man of the same age.
The exact difference will depend on the number of contributions each woman has made, and whether she receives means-tested benefits or not.
Shadow pensions secretary Gregg McClymont, who uncovered the original figures, accused the UK Government of “moving the goalposts” for hard-working women.
He said: “This Government has to explain why these women will not get the new state pension while men of the same age will. Sadly some of those affected are the very same women whom the Government penalised by raising their retirement age with very little notice in 2011.
“It is astonishing that women, so close to retiring, are being penalised in this way.”
Dundee West MP Jim McGovern said: “Once again ministers have been caught with their hands in pensioners’ pockets it’s about time this Government had the decency to be honest about who will lose out under their plans.”
Pensions Minister Steve Webb said: “What this research doesn’t point out is that women born in the period between 1952 and 1953 will receive their state pension up to three years before a man born on the same day, which could be worth up to £16,750.
“People can be reassured that, while single tier is a different system, it is no more generous overall than the one it replaces.”