The government is revisiting its decision regarding the compensation for women born in the 1950s impacted by changes to the state pension age following the emergence of new evidence. Pat McFadden, the Secretary for Work and Pensions, revealed that undisclosed information from 2007 had surfaced, which was not considered by his predecessor, Liz Kendall, when rejecting compensation for WASPI women last year.
Despite this development, McFadden clarified to lawmakers that this reassessment does not guarantee compensation for WASPI women. Advocates claim that approximately 3.6 million women were not adequately informed about the shift in the retirement age from 60 to 65 to align with men. It is estimated that 394,000 women have passed away since the call for compensation began in 2015.
WASPI campaigners are pursuing a judicial review, originally scheduled to be heard in the High Court next month. However, the government has opted to withdraw from the process to reconsider the evidence. In a statement to the Commons, McFadden emphasized a commitment to a fair and transparent approach while cautioning that a reassessment does not automatically imply financial redress will be granted.
No specific timeline has been provided for the review process, potentially leading to further delays for those impacted. This decision follows a recommendation from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in March 2024 proposing payouts ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 for affected individuals.
Previously, Liz Kendall apologized for a 28-month delay in notifying those affected by the pension age adjustments but rejected the ombudsman’s proposal for payouts, citing concerns about the substantial cost to taxpayers. Campaigners argue that the affected women were treated unjustly, leaving them inadequately prepared for retirement.
Angela Madden, the Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), expressed optimism about the government’s reassessment, acknowledging the prolonged fight for compensation and urging swift action due to the ongoing loss of WASPI women. Many Labour MPs, including Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, have publicly supported the WASPI cause. While the Labour Party pledged compensation for WASPI women in its 2017 and 2019 manifestos under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, this commitment was absent from the latest election-winning manifesto.