On the 21 March, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman published Stage 2 and 3 of the long awaited report about the thousands of women born in the 1950’s who have been affected by the DWP’s failures in communication. They were not informed adequately that the State Pension Age had changed.
The Ombudsman investigated complaints that since 1995 “DWP has failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information about areas of State Pension reform.” Stage 1of the investigation published in 2021 found failings in the communication. This final report considers injustices and remedy. The Ombudsman is very critical of the DWP not only of it’s failings but the refusal to apologise or offer compensation.
The Report says “DWP’s handling of the changes meant some women lost opportunities to make informed decisions about their finances. It diminished their sense of personal autonomy and financial control.”
The Ombudsman’s Chief Executive Rebecca Hilsonrath said
“the women affected are owed compensation……we have proactively asked Parliament to intervene and hold the Department to account..and recommends a compensation scheme is established”
WASPI campaigners have welcomed this but have said theat they won’t be celebrating just yet until they see what happens on the compensation. The Ombudsman’s report recommends that the compensation is set at level 6 meaning an average of £10K per women. Is this likely to happen? A compensation scheme will be complicated as there will have to be a system set up to calculate individual loss due to this situation. That could take a few more years.
CSPA members are likely to have got their occupational pension at 60 if the were in one of the older civil service schemes, but with the average pension for women at £7,500 many were left in limbo waiting for their state pension, without being able to prepare for that gap in income.
CSPA continues to campaign for all members to have an adequate retirement income and dignity in retirement.
