THOUSANDS of Worcestershire women face the misery of a weekly state pension of as little as seven pence, it has been claimed.

The Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to expose the plight of women in their 40s and 50s who paid the "married women's stamp".

And they have called for them to be allowed to "buy back" the years when they disastrously chose - some after Government advice - not to pay full national insurance contributions.

Steve Webb, the Lib Dem's social security spokesman, said around 1.5 million women nationwide faced the shock of a pitifully low pension when they reached retirement age.

They had opted to pay a reduced NI rate - disqualifying them from a full pension - in return for a 60 per cent pension through their husband's contributions.

But that will not be paid until the husband reaches 65, leaving women with husbands who retire after them with no independent income.

The rules were changed in 1977, but many women remained on the reduced "stamp", allegedly after advice from the department of health and social security.

Letters

Many are likely to receive weekly pensions of around £20, but Mr Webb has received letters from women who will get as little as seven pence.

"The first these women know about it is when, at 58 or 59, they are sent a pension forecast saying they will get only seven or nine pence a week," he said.

"These days it would be called mis-selling, because these people were not told what was happening or that the system had changed."

Mr Webb said the Government should pledge immediately to write to every woman affected and launch an investigation into pension prospects for working women.

"At the very least these women should be told. And they should be allowed to buy back their missing years at a discounted rate," he added.

A department for work and pensions spokeswoman said those who opted out of paying the full rate of NI contributions "chose to do so themselves."