Calls for State Pension age compensation for millions of WASPI women soars over New Year
Nearly 150,000 people have signed an online petition created and posted by the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign (WASPI) calling on the UK Government to “fairly compensate” those affected by changes to their retirement age, despite the recent announcement that there will be no redress scheme. The petition is now being considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament, but has been waiting 33 days for a date.
On December 17, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told MPs there would be “no scheme of financial compensation” for an estimated 3.5 million 1950s-born women affected by changes to their State Pension age. However, in the statement to Parliament, Ms Kendall admitted there was maladministration by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and apologised to all women impacted by changes to their retirement age on behalf of the UK Government.
READ MORE: WASPI women taking new legal advice after State Pension age compensation decision
READ MORE: PHSO ‘disappointed’ by DWP decision not to pay WASPI women State Pension age compensation
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) final report, published on March 21, stated that “Parliament must urgently identify a mechanism for providing that appropriate remedy” and recommended compensation equivalent to level four on its banding scale, which is worth between £1,000 and £2,950.
Ms Kendall told the Commons: “I know this is an issue of huge concern to many women, which has spanned multiple Parliaments. My Hon Friend, the Pensions Minister (Emma Reynolds) and I have given the Ombudsman’s report serious consideration and looked in detail at the findings, and information and advice provided by the Department, which was not available to us before coming into Government.”
She explained that the PHSO looked at six cases and found that the DWP provided “adequate and accurate information on changes to the State Pension age between 1995 and 2004” but added that “decisions made between 2005 and 2007 led to a 28-month delay in sending out letters to women born in the 1950s.”
Ms Kendall said: “We accept that the 28-month delay in sending out letters was maladministration. And on behalf of the Government, I apologise. “
She continued: “We also agree with the Ombudsman’s findings that the women suffered no direct financial loss because of this maladministration. However, we do not agree with the Ombudsman’s approach to injustice or remedy.”
The DWP boss went on to explain the reasoning behind the UK Government’s decision, which focused on research showing that the vast majority of women approaching State Pension age were aware of upcoming retirement changes.
She referenced research from 2004 which suggested 73 per cent of women aged 45-54 - the age group that covers women born in the 1950s - were aware that the State Pension age was increasing and further research from 2006 which indicated that 90 per cent of women aged 45-54 were aware that the State Pension age was increasing.
The announcement came as a huge blow to all women affected by the age changes who firmly believed a Labour Government would support their campaign for compensation. However, WASPI have vowed to continue campaigning for justice for all women affected.
On New Year’s Day, WASPI South East Essex posted on X: “#WASPI women thought the New Year would finally bring them justice and had high hopes of change from @UKLabour who supported us in opposition for so many years. How wrong we were.
“@Keir_Starmer your decision to abandon us is truly shocking but @WASPI_Campaign is #notgoingaway”
You can view the ‘Introduce a compensation scheme for WASPI women’ petition, and the UK Government’s written response, on the petitions-parliament website here.
