Campaigning for women born in the 1950s
The WASPI Campaign 2018 welcomes the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman’s findings that maladministration by the Department for Work & Pensions in the way it handled the communication of changes to women’s State Pension age resulted in injustice, and that compensation should be paid to the women affected.
We find it scandalous that the Department has refused to accept that maladministration occurred or engage in discussions on compensation, and on that basis we acknowledge that the Ombudsman has no choice but to take what they describe as the “rare” decision to refer the issue directly to Parliament.
We would however take issue with the Ombudsman’s suggestion that the appropriate level of compensation would be Level 4 on the Severity of Injustice Scale (ie £1,000 – £2,950) and will be urging Parliament to look at a higher level of compensation that is both fair and fast to implement.
We expect all political parties to make a clear statement of their position on this issue after considering the Ombudsman’s report. With an election in prospect before the end of the year, WASPI women need to know where the Government and the Opposition parties stand.
We are very grateful to Jim Shannon, DUP MP for Strangford, for calling this debate on “State Pension Changes: Women” held on 12thMarch and to the large number of MPs from all parties who attended and spoke passionately in our support.
MPs were well aware of the financial hardship, emotional distress and health problems caused for 1950s women by the inadequate notice of the delay to their State Pensions.
It has been over two years since the Ombudsman’s ruling of maladministration in November 2021. The MPs united in calling for swift action by the Government and urgent compensation for the WASPI women. The DWP minister present said the Government would ‘very carefully consider’ the Ombudsman’s report when it was published.
Westminster Hall debates are intended to give MPs the opportunity to debate issues and receive a response from a government minister. They cannot make decisions.
Full text here State Pension Changes: Women - Hansard - UK Parliament
The House of Commons Library has issued a new official briefing paper on the WASPI issue (dated 21 February 2024). It describes key events up to and including MP Alan Brown's Ten Minute Bill on compensation, which had its first reading recently, and summarises the position as it currently stands.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women aims to represent women who have been treated unjustly by the short-notice changes to the State Pension age, and to campaign on related issues.
We welcome the appointment of Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles and a long-standing supporter of the WASPI cause, as APPG Co-Chair, replacing Andrew Gwynne MP. We are grateful to Andrew for his contribution to our cause and to Co-Chair Peter Aldous MP for his continuing support.
"I'm thrilled to take over as Co-Chair,” said Rebecca. “This is a cause very near and dear to my heart and a longstanding injustice that needs rectifying. I am looking forward to the Ombudsman's final report, hopefully coming out soon, so that the APPG can consider the recommendations and work collectively to push for progress on this in Parliament for all those women affected and their families.”
See the full membership of the APPG at: https://www.parallelparliament.co.uk/APPG/state-pension-inequality-for-women
We’re looking for volunteers to email a copy of The WASPI BUZZ, our update for MPs, to their MP every month. There are 650 MPs at Westminster who need to be kept up to date about our campaign. We want to cover all of them, not just those who support us.
If you’d like to volunteer, please email waspigroupnetwork@gmail.com with
1. your name
2. your email address
3. the name of your constituency and/or your MP
When our next issue of The BUZZ is ready, we will email it to you with instructions of how to forward it to your MP. Thank you for your help.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has sent his provisional views about injustice (stage 2) and remedy (stage 3) to the 500 “complainants” - ie those people whose complaints reached the Ombudsman - and their representatives, including their MPs. They have also sent copies of the evidence that was used in reaching these provisional views. The complainants and their representatives are invited to submit any further evidence to the PHSO by 21 December 2023, following which they will reach their final decisions.
For news on the Ombudsman's investigation see the latest UPDATE (No.18) from our colleagues at Women Against State Pension Inequality
We are delighted at the news that following legal action by the Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign and supported by us, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has agreed to reconsider his recent report on compensation for 1950s women who were given inadequate notice of changes to their state pension age.
You can read the full story here https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/fair-compensation-for-waspi-women/
We are delighted at the news that following legal action by the Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign and supported by us, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has agreed to reconsider his recent report on compensation for 1950s women who were given inadequate notice of changes to their state pension age.
You can read the full story here https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/fair-compensation-for-waspi-women/
In July 2021 the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman ruled that it was maladministration when 3.8 million women born in the 1950s were not given adequate notice that their state pension age had changed. The Ombudsman is now considering what action should be taken by the Department of Work & Pensions to remedy this injustice. He hopes to conclude his investigation by the end of March 2023.
The Ombudsman’s confidential provisional findings have been sent to ‘complainants’ - women whose cases reached the Ombudsman level of the complaints procedure - and their MPs, to give them the opportunity to comment on his provisional recommendations. If you are a complainant you will have been sent the draft report. Please send your comments to the Ombudsman and your MP as soon as possible.
You can read more about the Ombudsman’s investigation below.
WASPI 2018 will continue to campaign for fair and fast compensation.
We are a volunteer-run grassroots campaign with over 60 local groups throughout England, Scotland and Wales. We are fighting the injustice imposed upon 1950s born women by the 1995 and 2011 Pension Acts. These delayed our State Pension Age by up to six years with little or no notice.
OPPOSITION LEADER PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR WASPI
SNP LEADER PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR WASPI
LIBERAL DEMOCRAT LEADER PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR WASPI
PLAID CYMRU'S WESTMINSTER LEADER PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR WASPI
We are grateful to the Leaders of the Labour Party, Scottish National Party, Liberal Democrat Party, Plaid Cymru and all MPs who have pledged their support for a 'Fair and Fast' solution.
The WASPI Campaign 2018 is run by volunteers who give their time freely to fight for and on behalf of 3.8 million women who have been affected by the changes to our State Pension Age.
You can make a donation via a bank transfer to the Waspi Campaign 2018:
Name of Bank: Barclays
Sort Code: 20-55-41
Account No: 40052590
These funds will go directly to the WASPI Campaign 2018 and will be used to promote the campaign nationwide.
Your donation will also help with running costs which we will, of course, keep to a minimum.
All donations, however big or small, are most gratefully received and will help us to continue our campaign to achieve justice for all the women affected.