Transgender Woman's Pension Blocked Untill She Can Prove Her/His Identity

 

A former soldier who underwent a sex change operation has had her state pension blocked - until she can prove she is a woman.
UK Mirror reports that Sandra MacDougall, who was born as a male with the name Ian, had gender reassignment surgery to change from a man to a woman in July 2000. However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) say they now require proof of her sex swap – even though they’ve been sending benefits to her as a 'Miss' for years.

Sandra, who should have been allowed to receive her full state pension last November, also has a British passport and EU health insurance card under her name

The 63-year-old, who has undergone a triple heart bypass and is unable to work, has been told by the DWP that she will have to wait an extra three years to retire under different pension rules for men.

To add insult to injury they also axed Sandra’s disability living allowance last month, reports the Daily Record.

She said: “Life for a transgender person is hard enough, without being tracked down and forced to prove my gender at every turn.”

Sandra has lived as a woman ever since she underwent full gender reassignment.

Prior to her operation, Sandra was a recruit in The Royal Scots Guards – and it was through her life in the army that she met and married Sagrada Manaloto in Hong Kong, in October 1982. The couple divorced in 1991.

In 2000, after her surgery – Sandra thought she could finally leave “Ian” in the past.

But on October 15, Sandra received a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions telling her they can’t pay her what she in entitled to now - unless she can prove she is a woman.

Government guidelines state that as a woman Sandra was entitled to starting receiving her state pension in November last year. But as man, the state will not pay out until July 2017.

Sandran now fears she will miss out on vital financial support - until she proves she is no longer a man.

Sandra, who suffers from diabetes, said: “I’m not that person anymore, I’ve not been that person for 15 years and I want to leave the person I was in the past.

“After the surgery, I wasn’t given a certificate because they didn’t have them in those days. I knew who I was, I had a new passport, a new legal name and I really thought my life was taking off.

“But now, after all this time to be told I’ll not be receiving a state pension unless I can prove I’m a woman, is ridiculous.

“It’s just so cruel and I’m so angry at the way I’ve been treated"

She however maintains that: “Everyone is entitled to a state pension and all this just amounts to my own human rights being breached.
“It doesn’t matter if someone is gay, lesbian, male or female, the DWP are there to do a job not to judge people.”