“OUR ASK”
WASPI calls on the Government to agree fair and fast compensation for all women affected by the lack of notice regarding the State Pension age increases
(1995 and 2011 Pensions Acts) to reflect their financial losses,
the sustained damage to their mental health and well-being,
and the additional impacts.
We also call for the Government to act on the PHSO findings now to prevent any longer-term damage to WASPI women.
The background
The 1995 Government’s Pensions Act included plans to increase the State Pension age (SPa) for women to 65, the same as men. The 2007 Pensions Act confirmed the equalisation and increased the SPa for women and men to 66, and the 2011 Pensions Act accelerated that increase.
WASPI agrees with equalisation but does not agree with the unfair way the changes were implemented leaving no time to make alternative plans. Women were not properly informed. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. The campaign started with ordinary women who in 2015 got together via Facebook and decided to fight this injustice.
The initial aim of the WASPI Campaign was to achieve fair transitional arrangements for all women affected by the rapid increase to the SPA, with little notice to make alternative arrangements. This translated into a ‘bridging’ pension to provide an income until State Pension Age, not means-tested, and with recompense for losses for those women who have already reached their SPA. There are no specific age groups within the period mentioned above that are favoured above others.
The Campaign has been going since 2015 and much has changed in that time. Most women affected have now reached their State Pension age. So, a bridging pension would not be relevant. For them, and in fact for all women a lump sum in compensation for the lack of notice received, commensurate with the degree of loss suffered, would be a more equable solution.
Complaints of Maladministration
Many WASPI women made complaints of Maladministration to the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). They were supported in this with the guides produced giving background information and templates developed with our legal advisers. The process has been long and protracted, however the PHSO finally communicated their findings on 20th July 2021. From 2005 the DWP knew women were unaware of their revised State Pension age, and they failed to do the right things. This was Maladministration. You can read more about this, including what happens next, here: Complaints about communication of changes to women’s State Pension age
