WASPI campaigners are “delighted” about the proposed £10,000 compensation payout for millions of women affected by state pension age changes.
Women born on or after April 6, 1950 “had their retirement dreams shattered” following the equalization of the state pension age, the campaign group’s chair Angela Madden told GB News.
The WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign has lobbied politicians to address the historic injustice millions faced after the age threshold was raised from 60 to 65, to be in line with men.
However, some 3.6 million women born up until March 5, 1950 were not adequately informed of these changes until 2009 which impacted retirement plans significantly. Furthermore, the state pension has been raised from 65 to 66 since then with another hike expected between 2026 and 2028.
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The WASPI campaign has fought to address historic inequality women has faced
WASPI
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) inquiry charged the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) with “maladministration” over how it informed those impacted by changes.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, Ms Madden shared that older women have been effectively “cancelled” by the Government but she is “delighted” MPs are understanding the importance of a decent amount of compensation.
She explained: “All WASPI women have suffered years of uncertainty, stress caused by financial insecurity and depression caused by being ‘cancelled’ by the very Government purporting to represent them.
“[Despite] the knowledge they did everything right, these women had their retirement plans shattered by an administration that didn't bother to tell them that their state pension age had been increased by a massive six years in one decade.”
The All Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women presented evidence to the PHSO inquiry concluding that all WASPI women affected by the maladministration should receive level six compensation which starts at £10,000.
According to the WASPI chair, this sum should be in addition to any material or financial losses incurred which should be repaid in full.
Ms Madden added: “This investigation is now in its second stage - where the PHSO is investigating what injustices were caused by the DWP's maladministration.
“Its a bit like a car accident - you need blame (maladministration) and then injury (injustice) and then we can make a claim.
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The DWP was found to have carried out by "maladministration" in its handling of pension changes
PA“We have seen the PHSO provisional report and have sent a robust response. We are now waiting for him to complete the final report. We hope it will be available soon - in weeks rather than months.”
Recently, bi-partisan group of MPs submitted evidence to into the issue which determined all WASPI women affected by maladministration should receive compensation starting at £10,000.
Earlier this month, SNP MP Alan Brown spoke of the necessity of this sum in helping WASPI women across the nation get the support they deserve.
A DWP spokesperson said: “The Government decided over 25 years ago that it was going to make the state pension age the same for men and women.
"Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have supported the actions of the DWP, under successive governments dating back to 1995, and the Supreme Court refused the claimants permission to appeal."