18 May 2023 , 14:10
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A campaign group fighting for state pension compensation have sent a list of demands to the Government which includes a "fair and fast" cash settlement.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) group have sent their 10 point plan to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) in a bid to resolve their fight with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) over state pension age changes.
Waspi women were born in the 1950s and say they were not properly informed by the Government that their state pension age would increase from 60 to 65 to equalise with men.
The state pension age then went up to 66 for everyone.
The group say the poor communication over the changes left them with "insufficient time" to prepare for up to six years longer without their pension.
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This then caused them lasting financial problems as well as impacts on their health and emotional wellbeing.
An investigation by the independent complaint handling ombudsman has already found that the DWP had failed to give women enough notice of the changes.
Stage two of this investigation report of this was rejected recently due to legal errors but is being revisited.
The report is expected to be published by the summer.
Following this rejection, the group are now pressuring the ombudsman to quickly give a "fair" conclusion to the saga.
The Waspi women say this investigation is "crucial" as they believe it could have some bearing on how much compensation they could get.
The group have urged all of its members and supporters to write to their MP with the list of 10 demands to help put pressure on the ombudsman.
The letter can be downloaded from the Waspi website.
The Waspi group say: "Some of us were already 58 when the DWP pulled the rug from under us by letting us know far too late that we could not retire and draw a pension at 60 but must instead wait until 66.
"By then we had taken life-changing decisions to leave work, often taking up caring responsibilities for our elderly parents, grandchildren or ill partners."
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The group highlighted that they understand that they have no right to compensation but argue that it would be the "legally correct decision" to make.
The group padded: "We strongly believe the ombudsman must reach a legally correct decision on the injustice we have experienced."
The 10 steps outlined by the Waspi group include:
- Complete the investigation with a sense of urgency
- Clearly and correctly identify when maladministration began
- Clearly and correctly identify when maladministration ended
- Reach a sound conclusion on what would have happened if women had been correctly notified of the changes to their state pension age
- Make realistic findings on direct financial losses
- Look at the lost opportunities for women to make different financial decisions
- Properly consider the distress, anger and hurt of those affected
- Take account of varying impacts based on circumstances
- Reach conclusions in a fair manner including consultation with WASPI
- Make compensation recommendations that are fair, fast and straightforward
A DWP spokesperson said: “The Government decided over 25 years ago it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women.
“Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have supported the actions of the DWP under successive governments dating back to 1995 and the Supreme Court refused the claimants permission to appeal.”