WOMEN fighting for pension inequality have taken their efforts to the heart of Westminster by joining a march on the Houses of Parliament.

Members of Barrow's Women Against State Pension inequality joined thousands of other campaigners to voice their discontent at being forced to wait longer for their pensions due to changes in the law.

Almost four million women nationally have been affected by changes brought in by the government to increase the female state pension aged from 606 to 66, with some saying they have been left destitute after being suprised by threshold increase.

Members of the Barrow WASPI sported a purple banner for the "Shoulder to Shoulder" rally, with 12 of its 140-strong turning out for the march.

The women received support from the Barrow and Furness MP, John Woodcock.

Mr Woodcock, who is currently in Australia on a defence conference, said: “I am very sorry that I can’t be with the Barrow WASPI group today. I wish them all the best, and I hope that they have enjoyed their day.

“I want to say that I am completely committed to the WASPI cause. It is unthinkable that these women are being prevented from accessing the pensions that they have contributed to for the est part of forty years.

“Many of these women had long-planned retirements which they are having to cancel.

"Others having caring arrangements or are in poor health, and continued employment is not an option for them. Even those who do seek employment are finding it tricky to slot into a job market that doesn’t accommodate older women.

“The government needs to start taking these women seriously, and scrap the changes.

"It is unfair that, after working all their lives, they are now being told that they cannot access the money that is rightly theirs.”