Thousands of Waspi women are waiting for a response from the Government on whether they will receive compensation after DWP’s failure to communicate state pension changes “ruined” their lives.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has asked Parliament to intervene and “act swiftly” to make sure a compensation scheme is established.
A report by the ombudsman concluded affected women should be awarded up to £2,950 in compensation – a figure campaign groups say falls short of what they hoped for.
A No.10 spokesman said: “The Government will now consider the ombudsman’s report and respond to their recommendations formally in due course, and we will also co-operate with the parliamentary process as we have done throughout with the ombudsman.”
In its report published on Thursday the PHSO took a “rare but necessary step”, to recommend that Parliament step in to work out how to compensate the women affected, because of its doubts over the Department of Work and Pensions’ willingness to provide a remedy.
From 1948 until 2010, the state pension age was 60 for women and 65 for men – but a law change in 1995 ruled the women’s pension age would increase to 65 between 2010 and 2020.
The campaign Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) says as many as 3.8 million women were not made aware of the age change – and were forced to delay retirement without adequate warning.
Labour is understood to be considering its own response to the Ombudsman that has recommended Waspi women be paid £2,950 in compensation.
Waspi campaigners said it is time for supportive politicians to “put their money where their mouth is” with “a proper compensation package”.
Waspi chair Angela Madden said there are parallels with high-profile miscarriage of justice cases in recent years such as the Post Office and Windrush scandals, and said the Government had caused “great harm to Waspi women”.
She told the PA news agency: “They’ve ruined our lives. It’s worth a heck of a lot more than one or two grand.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride is likely to appear in the House of Commons before the Easter recess to address the ombudsman’s recommendations, Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt suggested.
The ombudsman investigated complaints that, since 1995, DWP has failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information about changes to the state pension age and to how workers build up credits.
The ombudsman published stage one of its investigation in July 2021. It found failings in the way DWP communicated changes to women’s state pension age.
The DWP’s handling of the pension age changes meant some women lost opportunities to make informed decisions about their finances. It diminished their sense of personal autonomy and financial control, the ombudsman said.
In addition to paying compensation, the ombudsman made it clear the DWP should acknowledge its failings and apologise for the impact it has had on complainants and others similarly affected.
The ombudsman cannot itself order compensation, so it will be for the Government to determine the terms of a redress scheme.
By Fran Ivens and PA
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
