Fight for pension justice
FIVE-MINUTE GUIDE TO... WASPI WOMEN
MORE than 3.5 million women born in the 1950s, who were hit by moves to hike the state pension age in line with men, are continuing their battle for compensation.
They call themselveswaspi women, which stands for women against state pension injustice, and refuse to give up the fight.
Waspi women have argued that they were not given sufficient warning of the change by the Government, which saw their retirement age jump from 60 to 65, and then to 66 in 2020.
Many did not realise until the last minute that they would have to work for five or six years longer.
One year ago this month,waspi women were celebrating a supportive ruling by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
It said the Department forwork and Pensions (DWP) should have written individual letters to affected women 28 months before it finally sent them out, which it called “maladministration”.
Hilary Simpson, chair of Waspi 2018, said the lack of notice had devastating effects for thousands of women whose plans for life after 60 were shattered: “Some had to sell or remortgage their homes, while others had to continue working despite ill health.”
Many were unable to do so due to failing health and scraped by on state
benefits, or died before receiving a penny in pension. “Others had to abandon commitments they had made to their families to provide care for grandchildren or elderly relatives,” Simpson said.
The Ombudsman’s announcement only concluded the first stage of its investigation. It is now deep into the second stage, on whether the maladministration led to injustice, which Simpson hopes will be completed “any time now”.
The third and final stage will be a recommendation to Parliament, with MPS having the final say.waspi women have been working to get MPS onside, and have won support from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, as well as the SNP and Plaid Cymru, and even some Tory MPS.
Campaigners refuse to put a figure on how much compensation they want, but it would be substantial.
During the 2019 general election, then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the country owed a “moral debt” to Waspi woman and promised an average payment of £15,380, with some getting up to £31,300.
The Liberal Democrats saywaspi women should get £15,000 each. In its submission to the Ombudsman, the Women All-party Parliamentary Group suggested they get at least £10,000, but this would be costly for the Government.
The DWP said the Government decided to equalise the state pension age for men and women more than 25 years ago, as a long-overdue move towards gender equality. It pointed out that it had been supported by both the High Court and Court of Appeal, which found it acted entirely lawfully and did not discriminate on any grounds.
But Waspi women are not giving up. Simpson said: “Our campaign is determined to see this through to the bitter end and obtain justice via fair and fast compensation.”
Their campaign will continue with a string of protests, parades, public awareness sessions and other activities.
Simpson added: “1950s women will not be sidelined, they are not a soft touch, and they are not going away.”
Now we wait for the Ombudsman.