The Prime Minister has said that WASPI women (Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign) and other women born in the 1950s affected by changes to their State Pension age could hear an update about a compensation plan “in the not too distant future”. Sir Keir Starmer has told reporters that the Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Liz Kendall will make a statement “on this in the not too distant future”.
Asked by reporters on the trip to the G20 summit in Brazil why State Pension age compensation was taking so long, the Prime Minister said: “The DWP secretary will be making a statement on this in the not too distant future. Obviously it’s a very serious report, and the response will be set out by the DWP Secretary.”
Last week, Ms Kendall told the Work and Pensions Committee that she will resolve the issue of State Pension age compensation for WASPI women “as soon as possible”. The DWP boss said that it is “extremely complicated” and there is “lots of information to go through” but that the UK Government “needs to get it right”.
A report published in March by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found that affected women born in the 1950s should have had at least 28 months’ more individual notice from the DWP of the changes to their State Pension age.
It also said that for women who were not aware of the changes, the opportunity that additional notice would have given them to adjust their retirement plans was lost due to delay. The report 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.
State Pension News
Commenting on the Prime Minister's comments, Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) said: “We welcome the Prime Minister's assurances today that an update on WASPI compensation will come 'in the not too distant future'. Frankly, an update cannot come soon enough.
"The Chancellor rightly acted quickly to compensate victims of the Post Office and infected blood scandal in last month's Budget but WASPI women were left behind. Only the Government has the power to put this historic injustice right and we urge ministers to set out their proposals to compensate a generation of women who had their retirement plans ripped up at the last minute as quickly as possible."
Latest WASPI News
During DWP questions in Parliament on November 11, Liberal Democrat MP Steve Darling also pressed the DWP for a timescale on a response to the Ombudsman’s report.
He said: “I am sure all Members in this Chamber are aware of the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign and the parliamentary ombudsman’s findings. Will the Secretary of State (Liz Kendall) commit to making a statement in the House before Christmas on progress with her review of the Ombudsman’s report?”
Responding to the Lib Dem work and pensions spokesperson, Pensions minister Emma Reynolds MP told the Commons: “The Ombudsman took six years to consider a range of complex cases, and we are looking at their complexity. I was the first Minister in six years to meet representatives of the WASPI campaign.
“We hope to be able to update the House in the coming weeks.”
Last month, Ms Reynolds confirmed that the DWP had been “considering the costs of setting up a compensation scheme” for women born in the 1950s affected by changes to their State Pension age.
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