2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Linda Howard)
A new online petition created and posted by the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign (WASPI) is 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, by March 21, 2015. The deadline will mark one year since the Ombudsman published the findings of its six-year investigation into complaints made against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The report 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. The PHSO 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.
However, there has been no movement on a compensation plan despite repeated calls from across the House and campaign groups. Both Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kensall have said an update on any compensation proposal will be made “soon” or in the “near future” - but neither could confirm any dates. Thousands of people have already signed the e-petition after it was posted on the official UK Government website by WASPI campaign director Jane Cowley on Thursday evening.
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 PHSO report and set up a compensation scheme by 21 March 2025.” Ms Cowley continued: “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 petition ends on a sombre note and the stark reality for women affected by changes to their State Pension age.
It ends: “We have calculated that with one affected woman dying every 13 minutes, there is no time for further delay.” At 10,000 signatures the petition is entitled to a written response from the UK Government, at 100,000 it would be considered by the Pensions Committee for debate in Parliament. You can view the full petition on the petitions-parliament website here.
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