Waspi women get major boost in state pension compensation battle as decision looms | Personal Finance | Finance

Now they are more optimistic than ever that they will get thousands of pounds each to compensate for the decision to increase the State Pension age to 66 for women with inadequate warning. A decision is expected soon and they are enjoying high level support for their campaign.

Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged his support for Waspi women’s campaign for compensation. This follows a recent pledge of support from Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP).

Waspi campaigners were delighted to win a pledge of support from Starmer for their campaign for “fair and fast compensation”.

Members of the Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) Campaign 2018 met Starmer at the Scottish Labour Party Conference in Glasgow where they were talking to politicians about their campaign.

Although Waspi campaigners refused to put a figure on how much compensation they expect, they calculate the average women born in the 1950s lost £50,000 in State Pension after the retirement age for women was hiked from 60 to 66.

Many women born in the 1950s have been scraping by on minimal income, while waiting to receive their delayed State Pension.

Last year, the Waspi campaign received a huge boost when the Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman ruled that the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) should have given them more notice of moves to raise their state retirement age.

It ruled this was “maladministration” because 1950s women were not given adequate notice of major changes to their State Pension, said Anne Potter, co-ordinator of the Waspi campaign in the Glasgow area.

“We are now hopeful that the Ombudsman will recommend compensation for the injustice we have suffered.”

This needs to be fair and fast, she added. “Too many 1950s women do not live to see their State Pension.”

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Simpson said that some women were written to in 2009, some 14 years after the first change, but letters were then stopped until 2012.

“Many women received no notice at all. Those who did get letters had very little time to prepare for such a major change to their retirement plans.”

The Ombudsman is now investigating what injustice arose as a result and whether compensation should be paid to the women affected.

A DWP spokesperson said the Government decided to equalise the State Pension age for men and women more than 25 years ago, as a long-overdue move towards gender equality.

They insisted that the move had been supported by both the High Court and Court of Appeal, which found it acted entirely lawfully and did not discriminate on any grounds.

A decision is expected in due course.