The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been reported to the parliamentary ombudsman over State Pension age changes. The Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign (WASPI) have called for a “fair outcome” in their fight for compensation.
In a bid to win their battle with the DWP they have created a new 10-point action plan for the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to try to resolve their long-running battle.
They say: “Justice delayed remains justice denied.” They are joined by millions of women across the UK who are calling for justice after a major “sudden” change in the State Pension age left their plans for the future “ruined”.
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The campaigners argue that approximately 3.8 million women in the 1950s saw their state pension age change from the traditional 60 they had expected up to 65 and then to 66 for both sexes. The UK Government has been criticised by some for not providing enough notice, leaving those who have been impacted in limbo.
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has already found the DWP had failed to give women enough notice of the changes. But on May 12, a court rejected the next stage of the pension probe because of legal errors.
The findings must now be revised and WASPI is urging all its members and supporters to contact their MP to help put pressure on the ombudsman for a satisfying conclusion to the long-running battle, BirminghamLive reports.
WASPI said: “Some of us were already 58 when the DWP pulled the rug from under us by letting us know far too late that we could not retire and draw a pension at 60 but must instead wait until 66. By then we had taken life-changing decisions to leave work, often taking up caring responsibilities for our elderly parents, grandchildren or ill partners.
“After decades of paying into the system, it betrayed us beyond belief. Our surveys show that a third of WASPI women are now in debt, with some having to sell their homes to survive.
“We believe the ombudsman’s mistaken approach to injustice could mean many women – perhaps hundreds of thousands – receiving less compensation than they otherwise would. We cannot be certain about the numbers or the amounts and although the Government normally follows ombudsman recommendations, there is no right to compensation. And of course, although we believe we have a strong case, the outcome is not certain.
“All these things said, we strongly believe the ombudsman must reach a legally correct decision on the injustice we have experienced.”
Following the court decision to quash the Stage 2 report, WASPI said they would be pressing the ombudsman to complete the investigation quickly and fairly to address the injustice 1950s women have experienced “on a massive scale.”
Campaigners acknowledge that not every 1950s-born woman received, or should have received, the same amount of notification of their State Pension age changing and have asked for this to be considered in the process. WASPI has outlined the 10 steps it wants the ombudsman to follow to conclude the matter, saying “justice delayed remains justice denied.”
These are:
- Complete the investigation with a sense of urgency
- Clearly and correctly identify when maladministration began
- Clearly and correctly identify when maladministration ended
- Reach a sound conclusion on what would have happened if women had been correctly notified of the changes to their State Pension Age
- Make realistic findings on direct financial losses
- Look at the lost opportunities for women to make different financial decisions
- Properly consider the distress, anger and hurt of those affected
- Take account of varying impacts based on circumstances
- Reach conclusions in a fair manner including consultation with WASPI
- Make compensation recommendations that are fair, fast and straightforward
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