Fight for the pension-less widows goes on behind the scenes
Monday 29th November 2010, 2:29PM GMT.
WORK to get justice for island women caught out by scrapping the widows’ pension in 2004 is taking place behind the scenes, a deputy has revealed.
The revelation came from Public Accounts Committee vice chairman Deputy Barry Paint (pictured), on the BBC Sunday phone-in.
The Gender Equalisation Law, which came into effect on 1 January 2004, meant that all men and women had a pension in their own right.
Previously, widows had been entitled to a pension up to the age of 65 which had been covered by the husband’s social insurance. Now instead of a that, widows receive a bereavement grant for one year.
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Going on behind the scenes,since 2004 ?
Come on, yet another Guernsey Shambles
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Don’t worry PB Falla Deputy P Is trying to get all the Deputies on his side, to try to get what you have called this another Guernsey Shambles sorted out.
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Its about time someone DID fight for the widows, especially the ones for whom, it is too late to do anything for themselves. How many people out there realize that Widows pension IS NO MORE?. Even if you are 63 and lose your husband you get an allowance for ONE YEAR only. I was in the same position and did fight, having 2 pieces in the Press and one on Channel TV. The States members didn’t want to know.
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Thats awfull, scorpio55, fancy having to fight for your rights after losing your husband.I thought a states department was meant to take the publics complaints seriously. Did’nt any States members get back to you after all of your publicity.
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Another letter in todays press from another Widow who thinks her husbands contributions have disappeared into the ether. Hang on to your husbands ladies otherwise you will find yourselves in the same position!
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I have just sent an article to the Guernsey Press. My friend asked Deputy Ivan Rihoy. About the lack of widow’s pensions, he thought they were still in existence! She asked him where he was when the vote was taken!!!
David de Lisle tried to help me, as he also did not realize that it was not been paid anymore! Charles Parkinson sent me back a very scathing letter. ‘If we pay widows then we have to pay divorcees???’
I think it’s about time a meeting was called between ourselves and the deputies. So come on Mr Paint. Mr Langlois set one up for all Guernsey’s Merry Widows!!
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Ivan Rihoy knew all about there being no widows pension. I spoke to him about it when he was canvassing for my vote at the last election. He was another one who promised to try to change it, as did other who wanted my vote. Charles Parkinson’s comment is absolute rubbish, why should divorcees be paid.
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I would love to have hung onto my husband unfortunately he had cancer
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@ Spottydonkey: ‘If we pay widows then we have to pay divorcees???’
That is truly appalling! I cannot believe that such a letter would be allowed out of the building from any other government in the Western world!
Perhaps he doesn’t realise – stuck alone in his ivory tower – that divorce is elective.
And even then, what about a woman who had been a homemaker all her life (which is where half the Neanderthals in power want us to be) who was divorced by her philandering husband? Why should she NOT be entitled to a pension, when she gave up her earning power to support the family from home?
Unbelievable. The annual saving this cut gives the States must be peanuts compared with the cost of the jollies to China enjoyed by our Great & Good.
If our husbands look like dying, perhaps we’re supposed to finish them off first, to ensure that at least we have a roof over our heads at Les Nicolles!
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Do you know which deputies are members of Social Security anyone?
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M.I
Google Guernsey Social Security and then click on Members
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Thanks Ray, only Deputy Paint and Stephens are trying to get their support to get the pension brought back , and I want to know who they are.
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Found them. Here are their names just in case anyone else wants to contact them. Mark Dorey, Al Brouard, Scott Ogier,Michael Collins,and Andrew Le Lievre.
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How do i find their email addresses as well Ray.
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M.I.
A very few of them have their e-addresses listed on page 4 & 5 in the phone book.
I suppose the others can be reached via an ‘e’ to their department address
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I found them all you do is Google ,Guernsey Deputies emails.
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There was a housewife under age 65 married to an older man, he was receiving a pension for her as well, the minute he died it was all taken away, by SSD
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Am I right in thinking this was brought in when Mary Lowe was boss of Social Security or was it later. If it was when she was in charge I don’t recall any Press coverage and she usually wants everyone to know how much she does for women’
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Well she is not doing very much for women at the moment, because she refuses to even look into this awful situation widows have been left in!
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Mary Lowe was a member on the board of Social Security in 2003 MC
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Mary lowe on the Sunday phone in told Widows to knock on Mark Dorey’s door if they are not happy with the situation as it is.
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M.I.
It will probably make the news if lots of widows went in en masse
Might be worth trying to organise on this forum ?
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My mum was widowed after 2003, she knocked on Mark Dorey’s door and he didn’t take any notice!
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Maybe every widow since 2004 should go together to knock on Mark Dorey’s door. Then maybe he will then get the message!!
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what on earth are these posts about? this law was changed yonks and yonks ago as part of putting men and women on equal footing within social insurance rights. find out the context and the history of change before whinging.
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We have , that is why we are whinging, son of blah.
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