Officials for WASPI (Women Against State Pension Injustice) have issued an update after a meeting with the Ombudsman team was sparked by yet more delays. The group is pushing to get justice and compensation in response to Department of Work and Pension (DWP) failures to properly notify of increases to the state pension age.
Those changes, which were not properly informed, meant some women only found out they needed to continue working for several more years just months before they thought they were due to retire. So far, the ombudsman has ruled that not enough notice was given to women regarding the pension age hike, which was increased by the DWP from 60 to 65 and then to 66.
The next stage will be to reconsider and rewrite his Stage 2 Report on the injustices caused by DWP maladministration. WASPI and two of its solicitors met with the Ombudsman’s team to highlight concerns over how long this is taking but were told legal restrictions meant only limited information could be shared with the group.
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However, it was noted that more may be shared with individuals whose complaints are being considered. A WASPI spokesperson said: “We were assured that the Ombudsman understands that his reconsideration must proceed with urgency so that decisions on remedying the injustices experienced by 1950s-born women as a result of maladministration are made as quickly as possible.
“Ombudsman staff told us that all relevant evidence gathered during their Stage 2 investigation is being reconsidered by them along with some new evidence, and in light of the concerns raised by WASPI and others. The Ombudsman has acknowledged our list of ten key steps that must be taken to produce a report that is lawful, thorough and fair.
“We were told that the Ombudsman is thinking again on all of the issues set out in that list including, crucially, when DWP letter writing should have started and finished, what would have happened had there been good administration, and how women prove injustice.”
The group added that those with outstanding complaints will be allowed to comment on the Ombudsman’s provisional view when it is made available but it is not yet known when this will be.
The spokesperson added: “From our perspective, yet more waiting is immensely frustrating, but it is positive that the Ombudsman is looking at injustice again and re-examining all the evidence. We will continue to press for him to get it right this time when deciding on the injustice 1950s women have suffered.”
