LEIGH ladies have not given up their battle against state pension inequality despite the government ruling that ‘nothing can be done’.

They have been the country’s strongest petitioners for the national Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) campaign, with more than 1,500 signatures coming from the Leigh community – nearly three times more than any other UK area – in the online petition.

The petition demanded that the government ‘make fair transitional arrangements for all women born on or after April 6, 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the state pension age (SPA) increase’, with many standing to lose thousands of pounds due to a government decision made five years ago to speed up the phasing in of an increase from 60 to 66 of the age at which women can retire.

The online petition has not had the desired effect and has been closed.

Undeterred, the WASPI group has started a new paper petition, which will be signed by people in each constituency and then handed to their MP to take the fight to London.

Pat Morgan, 61, of the Leigh WASPI branch, said: “This is not the end, this is only the beginning.

“We have 77 members who will fight the fight, and that is just in this borough.”

n For more information, or to join the group, visit waspi.co.uk or e-mail LPGclosedgroup@ outlook.com.