Community directory

PARITY

PARITY was founded in 1986 as the Campaign for Equal State Pension Ages, to campaign "principally for ending the injustice of unequal state pension ages by granting men the same right to state pension at 60 as enjoyed by women".

In 1997 it changed its name to PARITY to reflect its growing concern with other "unequal treatment of men and women by the state or its agents" (e.g social security benefits, etc). It is a national, voluntary, member organisation.

Individual membership: £6.00 per year.

It has won successes in respect of free NHS medical prescriptions for men age 60, equal statutory survivors benefits for widowers, winter fuel payments for men also from age 60, and an equal concessionary bus pass age 60 for both men and women (from 1st April 2003).

Present concerns include boys academic under achievement, preventative health care for men and lack of support services for male victims of domestic violence.

Publications: PARITY Update quarterly

Registered charity number 1107795