The government is set to review its decision regarding the lack of compensation for women born in the 1950s impacted by changes to the state pension age following the emergence of new evidence. Secretary for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, revealed that previously undisclosed evidence from 2007 had surfaced, which was not considered by the former Secretary, Liz Kendall, leading to the denial of compensation to WASPI women last year.
Nevertheless, McFadden cautioned Members of Parliament that this reconsideration does not automatically guarantee compensation for the affected women. Campaigners estimate that approximately 3.6 million women were not adequately informed about the shift in retirement age from 60 to 65 to align with men, with an estimated 394,000 women passing away since calls for compensation began in 2015.
WASPI campaigners have been pursuing a judicial review, originally scheduled for a High Court hearing next month. However, the government has opted to exit the process to reassess the newly surfaced evidence. In a statement to the Commons, McFadden emphasized that the review process would be conducted fairly and transparently, with updates provided to the House upon reaching a decision.
No specific timeline has been outlined for the review, potentially leading to further delays for those affected. This development follows a recommendation made by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in March 2024, proposing payouts ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 per individual impacted by the pension age changes.
In a previous apology for a 28-month delay in notifying those affected by the alterations, former Secretary Liz Kendall rejected the ombudsman’s payout suggestion, citing concerns over the substantial £10.5 billion compensation cost to taxpayers. Campaigners argue that the affected women were treated unjustly, impeding their ability to adequately plan for retirement.
Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), expressed satisfaction at the government’s decision to reconsider, acknowledging the prolonged fight for compensation. Madden stressed the urgency of prompt action due to the unfortunate mortality rate among WASPI women.
Many Labour MPs, including Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, openly supported the WASPI cause during their time in opposition. The Labour Party had previously pledged to provide some form of compensation for WASPI women in their 2017 and 2019 manifestos under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. However, this commitment was omitted from their most recent election manifesto.