State pension update: Waspi compensation decision to be RECONSIDERED as undisclosed 'evidence' comes to light

Campaigners say 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed about the increase in the state pension age, which brought it into line with men.

Last year, the Government apologised for a 28-month delay in sending out notification letters but rejected calls for financial compensation.

However, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has now confirmed that new “evidence” has come to light which was not shown to his predecessor Liz Kendall when she made the decision last December.

He said the Government will reconsider its decision to deny compensation to the women affected.

The rejection for compensation came despite a recommendation from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) that the women should receive payments of up to £2,950 each.

The proposed package, estimated to cost around £10.5billion, was based on findings that poor communication had prevented many from preparing properly for retirement.

Mr McFadden, however, suggested to MPs that reconsidering the decision did not mean the Government would end up awarding the women compensation.

He told the Commons: “Retaking this decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress. The work will begin immediately and I will update the House on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.”

The news comes as the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign launches a High Court challenge following the Government’s refusal to offer compensation over changes to the state pension age.

The women are set for a key High Court battle next month as they attempt to overturn the Government’s refusal to provide compensation for state pension age changes.

The judicial review is due to take place on December 9 and 10.

The campaign has raised more than £250,000 in public donations to support its legal challenge.

This funding will help efforts to overturn what supporters say is an unfair decision that has disrupted the retirement plans of thousands of women.

The dispute focuses on claims that the Department for Work and Pensions failed to give sufficient notice when the state pension age for women increased from 60 to 65 and then to 66.

Many of those affected say they were unaware of the changes until shortly before reaching retirement, leaving them struggling to adjust financially.

The Waspi campaign had called for payments of at least £10,000 each.

Officials have maintained that most women were aware of the pension age changes and that earlier notification would have made little difference.

This stance came despite the Ombudsman’s conclusion that administrative failures had caused avoidable distress and financial hardship.

Even if the judicial review is successful, it would not automatically lead to compensation. A ruling in favour of the Waspi campaign would instead require the Government to reconsider its decision on financial redress.

Waspi chair Angela Madden said: “They certainly can’t use the same reasons from before because those reasons will have been deemed unlawful.”

Since the campaign began, it has led to numerous Parliamentary debates, four Private Members’ Bills, and more than 200 Parliamentary petitions.

Campaigners have appeared before a Select Committee three times, held three demonstrations in Westminster, and launched three CrowdJustice appeals that together raised over £350,000.

During this time, they have seen nine Pensions Ministers and five Prime Ministers come and go, weathered the challenges of the COVID years, and continued to push back against what they describe as government “gaslighting.”