New DWP update on State Pension age compensation plan in response to WASPI petition
More than 132,000 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” women born in the 1950s affected by changes to their State Pension age. The petition also wants the UK Government to “urgently respond” to the recommendations in the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) final report and set up a compensation scheme by March 21, 2015.
However, in a written response to the proposal published on December 10, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) gave no specific timeframe on when a statement on the PHSO findings will be made, or if a compensation scheme will be announced. The Department said: “The Government is reviewing the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report and once this work has been undertaken, will be in a position to outline its approach.”
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The ‘Introduce a compensation scheme for WASPI women’ states: “We call on the Government to fairly compensate WASPI women affected by the increases to their State Pension age and the associated failings in DWP communications. We want the Government to urgently respond to the PHSO report and set up a compensation scheme by 21 March 2025.
“In March 2024, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said 1950s-born women were owed financial redress and an apology due to DWP maladministration.
“The Ombudsman’s findings were backed by the cross-party Work and Pensions Select Committee, hundreds of MPs and, according to our polling, 68 per cent of the public. However, only the Government has the power to put this injustice right.”
The DWP response explained how “changes to the State Pension age were made over a series of Acts, starting with the Pensions Act 1995 to equalise State Pension age” and the “Pensions Act 2007 brought forward recommendations of the Pensions Commission that the State Pension age should be increased to reflect increases in life expectancy and legislated to increase State Pension age to 68 over a thirty-year period”.
DWP added: “The Pensions Act 2011 and 2014 accelerated these timetables. In addition, the Pensions Act 2014 legislated to introduce periodic reviews of State Pension age. Each Act followed detailed consideration of the issues through public consultations.”
DWP also clarified the PHSO’s final report published in March is “not about changes to the State Pension age” but the way DWP communicated those changes to certain groups of women.
It said: “The PHSO have been investigating the way DWP communicated State Pension age changes from 1995 onwards impacting 1950s-born women. The Ombudsman published their report on 21 March 2024, the culmination of almost 6 years’ work.
“The PHSO has laid the report before Parliament and the Government is carefully considering the report. It is a serious report that requires serious consideration and the Government recognises it is important to do so as quickly as possible. In addition, there have been a number of recent debates and questions in Parliament on the issue.
“As part of its consideration, the Government is listening respectfully to the women involved. The Minister for Pensions recently met representatives from WASPI Ltd, the first Minister to do so for 8 years, and has also met with the co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women and with the interim Ombudsman.”
DWP added: “Government respects the work of the Ombudsman and it is actively considering the report. Once this work has been undertaken, it will be in a position to outline its approach.
“This Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve. The State Pension provides the foundation income for people in retirement.”
Having passed the 100,000 signature threshold, the petition is now eligible to be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament. You can read the full petition and DWP response on the petitions-parliament website here.
