The government has decided to review its stance on providing compensation to women born in the 1950s who were impacted by changes to the state pension age following the emergence of new evidence.
Secretary of Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, revealed that undisclosed evidence from 2007 had surfaced, which was not presented to the previous decision-maker Liz Kendall when the denial of compensation to WASPI women was made last year. However, McFadden clarified to lawmakers that this review did not automatically guarantee compensation for the affected women.
Advocates claim that approximately 3.6 million women were inadequately informed about the adjustments raising the retirement age from 60 to 65 to align with men. An estimated 394,000 women have passed away since calls for compensation began in 2015.
WASPI campaigners are pursuing a legal review, originally scheduled to be heard in the High Court next month. Nonetheless, the government has pulled out of the process to reassess the evidence.
During a statement in the House of Commons, McFadden stated, “We will handle this matter with fairness and transparency. Reassessing this decision does not imply an automatic award of financial compensation. The review process will commence promptly, with updates to be provided to the Parliament upon reaching a conclusion.”
No specific timeline has been outlined for the review process, potentially leading to further delays for the affected individuals. This development follows the recommendation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in March 2024 for compensatory payouts ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 for each affected individual.
In December, former Secretary of Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, apologized for the 28-month delay in notifying those impacted by the changes. Kendall, however, rejected the ombudsman’s proposal for payouts, citing concerns over the substantial £10.5 billion compensation cost to taxpayers.
Campaigners argue that the affected individuals were unfairly treated and left without adequate planning for their retirement. Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), expressed, “For a decade, we have been advocating for compensation. The government has resisted us at every turn. Today’s announcement marks a significant step forward. We are currently seeking legal guidance on the implications for our judicial review.”
Madden added, “The government now acknowledges its misstep, and we are pleased they are striving to rectify it properly. We urge swift action as a WASPI woman dies every 13 minutes. The only just course of action is immediate compensation for the 3.6 million WASPI women who have endured prolonged injustice.”
Several Labour MPs, including Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, publicly supported the WASPI campaign while in opposition. The party had pledged to provide some form of compensation to WASPI women in their 2017 and 2019 manifestos under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. However, this commitment was not reiterated in the manifesto of the last election.
