Free travel for WASPI women in West Midlands

The move in support of 'WASPI women' will be officially unveiled in the upcoming WMCA budget and will be a major boost to reduce living costs.

Leader of Birmingham City Council Ian Ward and Wolverhampton Council leader Roger Lawrence have spearheaded the move, with more than 99 per cent of funding for concessionary transport coming from local council levies, rather than from the mayoral-controlled transport budget.

The plan has already been introduced by Labour’s Mayor in Manchester, Andy Burnham, which delivers free travel across buses for women born between 6 October 1953 and 5 November 1954, who have had their pensions delayed by up to six years due to changes to pension rules by the government.

The pass will entitle holders to free travel across West Midlands transport.

The budget will be presented to the combined authority’s February meeting and will be signed off in March, ahead of the start of the new financial year.

Council leader in Birmingham Councillor Ward said: "These sudden pension changes have caused massive stress, upset and disruption to hundreds of women in the West Midlands who are being forced to return to work with as little as a year’s notice.

"A concessionary pass for those affected will go some way to helping out those hit hardest by this unfair policy."

Councillor Roger Lawrence, leader of Wolverhampton Council added: "The government have unfairly penalised these women and this is one way in which we can right that wrong."

Jack Dromey MP, who as Shadow Pensions Minister has led the campaign for the WASPI women, said: "The WASPI women of Birmingham and Britain built our country.

"It is nothing short of shameful that tens of thousands of them have been cheated on their pensions. We have fought hard for that which will at least make a significant difference for the women concerned, free bus travel."