Angela Madden, the national chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi), has become a formidable campaigner. She recently led the charge against state pension changes that have left hundreds of thousands of women in the UK facing hardship. Her adventure started back in March 2012. It was a letter from her government that burst her bubble of hope — she had another seven years to wait for a state pension not the two she had hoped for.
By then, Madden was a full-time caregiver for her disabled mother after retiring from work at 54 years old. She remembers the anger and surprise she felt when she first got the notification letter. Madden emphasized that if she’d known about the delay, she would’ve stayed on.
“But they were mainly in Benefits Offices and of course having never been unemployed I didn’t frequent Benefits Offices.” – Angela Madden
Her husband, Joe, worked in a bank, managing one. Mark provided for her needs until her 65th birthday. This brutal six year wait for her pension has caused Madden to become a staunch advocate for others in her position. She hosted a Town Hall meeting at the Portland Hotel in Chesterfield to fight back against these new changes. It was the first public meeting of the newly-formed North East Derbyshire Waspi branch.
Madden has taken her fight all the way to London. There, she lobbied repeatedly with Members of Parliament on the detrimental effects of the pension changes. We’ll dig more into why this issue strikes close to home for her. Her sister Imelda, however, was not able to adapt to the changes and tragically, Imelda has since died. Madden is passionate about bringing broader awareness to these injustices. In fact, she went on to create an impactful radio drama called “Stung,” which dramatizes the real consequences that women have endured as a result of the 2011 pension cuts. The new play can be streamed in its entirety on the Dramafy platform.
The government’s failure to effectively communicate the changes outlined in the 2011 act has left many women unprepared and struggling financially. Madden claims that the absence of such information has contributed to disastrous outcomes for impacted communities.
“We still can’t believe that the government who is supposed to work on our behalf neglected us so badly.” – Angela Madden
The need has never been more critical. The parliamentary ombudsman’s recommended compensation ranges from between £1,000 to £2,950 for each woman who had to endure the pension delays. Madden is concerned about the timing of that compensation coming in. It’s a worry for at least 380,000 to 400,000 women affected, including her late sister, Imelda.
The impact of these pension changes have been devastating. Madden has noticed that women are moving back in with husbands they’d once moved out on. This unexpected change has been exacerbated by the fiscal chaos that has resulted from pension payments being postponed.
“Some women I know have had to move back in with husbands they chose to leave, because they couldn’t afford to live on their own,” – Angela
Madden loves being an advocacy rockstar. As ever, she is undeterred in her pursuit of justice for those these indefensible policies have affected. She insists that this fight is about more than monetary reparations. It seeks to honor the sacrifice and struggle of women who have been failed by the system.
