OAP Jan helps win £1BILLION pensions fight
Repeated human errors are blamed for underpaying 134,000 pensioners
A SCOTS pensioner’s battle with the UK Government has helped to win a £1billion pensions scandal.
Jan Tiernan, 81, started writing to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after becoming convinced she was being short-changed on her rightful payments.
Now a report has concluded repeated human errors made for years were to blame for the massive underpayment of pensions to thousands of women.
The National Audit Office said 134,000 OAPs – mostly women – were underpaid because outdated computer systems produced errors.
Jan was one of those affected and was initially told she wasn’t owed any cash. Speaking after the DWP U-turned yesterday and admitted it did underpay women, Jan, from Fife, said: “I told the DWP I should be getting another £30 a week based on my husband’s contributions.
“But they fobbed me off and said no. I didn’t believe them due to the media coverage, so I started writing to them.”
Jan received £1280 but believes she is still owed more than £17,000 in missed payments.
She added: “It makes me sad and angry. I’ve been on this campaign for two years now. It is not just for me but for all of these people who have been done out of this money. At 81 years old, you get fed up with it. It is very wearing and it takes up all your energy.”
The problem relates to the “old” state pension system where married women who had a poor pension could claim a 60 per cent basic state pension based on their husband’s contributions record.
A review is underway to trace those affected by the failures to award pension rises, dating back to 1985.
An estimated 40,000 affected women have already died.
Meg Hillier, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, said: “The DWP must provide urgent redress to those affected.”
A DWP spokesperson said: “Anyone impacted will be contacted by us to ensure they receive all that they are owed so.”