A major new campaign has been launched by the Liberal Democrats calling for government action on women's pension prospects.

Pensioner poverty is highest among women and many have no idea how poor their pension rights are, the Liberal Democrats claim.

Agony Aunt Claire Raynor is lending her support to the campaign and was reported to be "spitting with rage" over the findings.

The campaign highlights the case of former nurse Margaret Watts of Weymouth in Dorset.

Claire Raynor is lending support

When Mrs Watts checked with the Department of Social Security what she would receive upon retirement, she was horrified to find she would get just 7p a week until her husband reached 65.

Mrs Watts is one of many women who opted for the reduced-rate 'married woman's stamp' National Insurance contributions in the 1960s and 1970s.

In return for lower contributions, they waived their right to the basic state pension until their husband reached 65, when they would receive 60% of his pension.

But Mrs Watts is adamant "I thought it was automatic. I do not remember being told that it would mean I had no entitlement to a pension. I feel angry that not only was I misinformed but as late as the 1990s bad advice was being given out".

Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said: "If the 75p was an insult, then what of the women who acted on government advice and now find themselves with only 7p a week"

He is calling for the government to contact all women who paid the married woman's stamp to warn them their pension rights may be in jeopardy and is also proposing a substantial increase in the basic state pension, with an increase of �15 a week for the over-80s.

The party's proposals would cost around �1.5 billion, which they say could be paid for by scrapping Labour's proposed pension credit.

Money Box looked at the issue on Saturday 11 May 2002.

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