WASPI - Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (Company Number 10380633) International House, 12 Constance Street, London, E16 2DQ FOR PRESS/MEDIA ENQUIRIES If you would like any additional information, written briefings or other materials, please contact waspicomms@gmail.com or call 07881 405499 CONTACT THE WASPI CAMPAIGN Get the latest money saving and benefits news sent . WASPI says the ombudsman wrongly assessed the impact on women, and said it is wrong about what they should have to do to prove they suffered. 24th February 2023. 3 October 2019. Of course, many women wont be able to contribute financially, precisely because they have been so mistreated by the system over the years., She added: We do believe this legal action is our best chance of securing justice, and with small sums from those affected and their families we hope to reach our target, and get the outcome Waspi women so desperately want and clearly deserve.. As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. Please donate and support the WASPI women as we seek a judicial review." In 2021, the PHSO found the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was "inadequate" in its communication of female state pension age changes - but the investigation is still ongoing. Its been assumed that even if women had known about the changes earlier, they would still have made the same decisions.. Copy link. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. The WASPI survey found as many as 80 per cent of women had suffered some form of financial hardship since finding out that the DWP had moved the age of retirement for women from 60 to 66. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. The DWPs own research showed that women were not sufficiently aware of the changes, yet they failed to act. The WASPI campaign Women Against State Pension Inequality - says the cost-of-living crisis is hitting single women the hardest as they had to wait up to six more years for retirement income. Ms Madden said: Now we have to fight back so we are urging people to donate whatever they can to our legal fund. It is there to ensure the Ombudsman is put back on track if he has become derailed legally. The ombudsman has no power to do so, but it can recommend compensation is paid to those affected by the DWP's maladministration. The upcoming judicial review provides the opportunity for senior judges to force investigators to look again at the case, and we are grateful to all those who have donated to support the action we are taking., This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's You can unsubscribe at any time. See more. Angela Madden is the national campaign chair for WASPI. The Government's repayment programme, which launched . The two main Waspi campaigns are united in the belief that a judicial review is the only way to get justice for 1950s women. He focuses on six sample complainants (the people discussed in the Stage 1 report). Sport. The next problem is that there will be some cases where women cannot show direct financial loss as a result of receiving their letters when they did, but they can show they lost an opportunity to make different choices. Now the state pension age for both sexes is 66. - david.porter@hnmedia.co.uk. Waspi believes the PHSO is seriously mistaken about the injustice women have suffered. The money is ringfenced for use to defend ourselves against the Ombudsmans mistakes and put them right so his investigation can be concluded on a proper footing. Why does this matter? Everyone now retires at 66 and that will start climbing to 67 from 2026. If someone gave up a job because they did not know their state retirement age had been put back, their direct financial losses could be considerable. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has published its view on the case of how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to communicate State Pension age changes to the women affected. In an update released today (28 February) the financial advice giant . Suffolk campaigners say that women are furious over new findings regarding their state pensions, which affect almost 50,000 women in the county. Update from the WASPI Campaign on news from the Parliamentary and Health Service DWP Mass action complaint & letter templates. We are calling on the government to agree fair and adequate compensation rather than allow what has become a vicious cycle of government inaction to continue.". Campaigners from the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) are calling for a review to be launched into an ongoing investigation into changes made towomens state pensions. The Official WASPI Campaign ( Women Against State Pension Inequality ) : Working to achieve fair transitional state pension arrangements for women born in the 1950's affected by the changes to the state pension law. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. 9597. That year, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) raised the pension age to 65, and in 2011, the government sped up the process - with those born in the mid-50s told they have had to wait until their 66th birthday. Every penny will take us a step closer to justice for 1950s born women., A PHSO spokesperson said: We are now considering what action DWP should take to put right the injustice we have found. Money. VINDICATES WASPI WOMEN. Life & More. The findings vindicate the years of campaigning by the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) Campaign and the commitment of women who have made individual complaints to the PHSO. By John Smith 23 July 2021 13:52. This is a financial scandal, not because of money being misspent or misappropriated, but because it is being withheld from those who should rightfully receive it. It will increase again to 67 by 2028. On Wednesday, the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign filed papers for a judicial review case against the Ombudsman itself. Waspi claims the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmans (PHSO) is mistaken over the way women born in the 1950s were affected by their state pension rising from 60 to 65. To read the Judicial review pre-action letter click on the link 2023.02.08-Pre-action-letter-to-PHSO-REDACTED-v.2. Waspi claims women are set to receive a lower level of compensation than they are entitled to. There are dozens of WASPI groups around the country, Contact your local group today. Pensions Waspi says over 215,000 state pension claimants died before . In 2021, the PHSO concluded there was maladministration on the part of the DWP, stating: "We consider that, if DWP had made a reasonable decision in August 2005 and then acted promptly, it would have written to affected women to tell them about changes to their state pension age by, at the latest, December 2006." However, WASPI stated the . For some, the delay was much longer. Personal finance correspondent, BBC News. Waspi's chair, Angela Madden, said: '[The] findings reinforce what we, unfortunately, knew all along; that the DWP failed to adequately inform 3.8 million women who were born in the 1950s that their state pension age would be increasing. Update from the WASPI Campaign on news from the Parliamentary and Health Service DWP Mass action complaint & letter templates, In his Stage 1 report, the Ombudsman found the DWP had, since 1995, failed to provide timely information about changes to the State Pension age for affected WASPI women. 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. Many thousands said they had no idea they would have to wait longer to receive their state pension, and had suffered financial and emotional distress as a result. The campaign added: Waspi believe that the Ombudsmans mistaken approach to injustice could mean many women perhaps hundreds of thousands receiving less compensation than they otherwise would.. Madden called the Ombudsmans draft report a catalogue of errors, which has left Waspi women furious. Our judicial review case against the Ombudsman in an nutshell - and what it means for WASPI women. The age at which people receive the state pension has been increasing as people live longer, and currently stands at 66 for men and women. Thousands of 1950s-born women across Suffolk have been badly let down by DWP failures and, subsequently, the flaws in the Parliamentary Ombudsmans report mean we have no choice but to seek legal action, said Ms Moss, with her fellow co-ordinator, Karen Sheldon, in agreement. She explained that this ruling could have consequences for the level of compensation women could hope to receive. Voluntary contributions for gaps in 2021-22 cost 15.40 per week; for gaps in 2020-21, the cost is 15.30 per week. The Lochside Press: Crowdjustice milestone for WASPI campaigners - 2 March Our judicial review case against the Ombudsman in an nutshell and what it means for WASPI women The group is raising money to launch a judicial review against the Government watchdog investigating their complaints after claiming women are in line to receive a lower . All said they had suffered financial losses because of this as well as loss of the opportunity to make different choices, stress, anguish and upset. Ayr MSP Siobhian Brown has urged the UK Government to exercise their pension powers. This site uses cookies. The latest findings reinforce what WASPI, which represents many of the 3.8 million affected, has been calling for since the campaign was founded in 2015. An estimated 2.3 million women lost up to 50,000 in state pensions as a result, and WASPI is calling for them to be compensated, warning that one dies every 14 minutes without seeing justice. In 2021, the PHSO found the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was "inadequate" in its communication of female state pension age changes. This is a clear indication of the direction of travel here by the Ombudsman. When those sort of choices are significant, the Ombudsman often recommends a higher level of compensation given the injustice. Suffolk WASPI co-ordinators Judi Moss and Karen Sheldon are bitterly disappointed with this pronouncement. Click here to sign up to our curated newsletters. Chair and director of finance Angela Madden said 1950s-born women were left in ignorance of the impact the Pensions Act 1995 until it was too late to do anything meaningful about it. "These women have been waiting for many years for compensation. DWP urged to compensate women hit by state pension age changes, Waspi woman's heart-rending plea for justice weeks before dying, BoE blows 200bn with its magical money mechanism, Pensioners clobbered with Jeremy Hunts pension tax bill, Jeremy Hunt wants over 50s back in work. Culture. Purple flowers were left at the scene. Saturday, 4th March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. The findings vindicate the years of campaigning by the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) Campaign and the commitment of women who have made individual complaints to the PHSO. As promised, we are now in a position to share our legal arguments about where the Ombudsman has gone wrong in deciding whether WASPI women have suffered injustice. In July 2021, the Ombudsman found the UK Government had "failed to communicate with the women affected with enough urgency" in effect, the changes to the State Pension age and what that would mean for plans people had already made were not passed on early enough to allow informed decisions to be made by those affected. Further information will follow. Tracy Lockley (Image: Tracy Lockley/SWNS) A mum given a year to live after her swallowing issues turned out to be terminal cancer has "got her life back" and is training for a . Latest News; County News; . By definition, this group of women is not well-off, having been so badly failed by the system. For those able to fill gaps between 2006 and 2016, the cost for a week is 15.40. By The Newsroom 5th Aug 2021, 12:00am - 3 min read Share page. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. As promised, we are now in a position to share our legal arguments about where the Ombudsman Today WASPI launched a fund-raiser through crowdjustice to finance a Judicial Review of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's second report. "We have found that DWP failed to act quickly enough once it knew a significant proportion of women were not aware of changes to their state pension age," said Amanda Amroliwala, chief executive of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. WASPI - Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd (Company Number 10380633), WASPI - Women Against State Pension Inequality Ltd, WASPI Women Against State Pension Inequality, End of Year Message from the WASPI Campaign, WASPI is launching a judicial review of the PHSOs second report, Written Question From Julian Lewis MP 14 December 2021, Martin Lewis encourages WASPI to keep up the fight, Evidence Submitted To Parliamentary Committees, Write to your MP after the Ombudsmans finding of maladministration. IF A WOMAN YOU . Angela Madden, who chairs the Waspi campaign, said: "The findings reinforce what we, unfortunately, knew all along; that the DWP failed to adequately inform 3.8 million 1950s-born women that their state pension age would be increasing. This new report, "Boom and Bust? Campaign chair Angela Madden said: Millions of women have been waiting years for justice and the latest findings from the Ombudsman have left us feeling insulted and ignored.". Last updated: 8 December 2022 We have now completed and closed stage two of our investigation into the way the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) communicated changes to women's State Pension age, and associated issues. Whereas Waspi has called for bridging payments, the separate Backto60 . There are now calls for a high court judicial review into the ombudsman. Become A Member Or Renew Membership Online. . Those WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women who expected to receive their pension at 60 and had to wait until 66 should receive compensation equivalent to the 'lost' pension. Madden said when the Government increased the state pension age by up to six years without proper notice, women's retirement plans were shattered, leaving them "disempowered and vulnerable". In June 2021, it accused the Department for Work & Pensions of maladministration in the first of its three-part investigation. In July 2021, a report from the ombudsmans found that the DWP had mishandled the situation, and could have contacted women to inform them of the changes by December 2006 at the latest. Ombudsmans draft report a catalogue of errors, which has left Waspi women furious. Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) are waiting for a verdict on the state pension compensation as 'cruel rumours' fly on social media adding to the uncertainty over how . This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. Waspi Latest Waspi coverage on inews.co.uk, with the essential news and in-depth analysis on Women . The DWP said: The government decided over 25 years ago it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women. Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) says it plans to take the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to court over serious mistakes about the injustice women born in the 1950s suffered. This error also matters. WASPI will now take time to consider the contents with their legal advisers and decide the best way forward for the Campaign. Share. The ombudsman is investigating the DWPs failure to communicate the raise in pension age from 60 to 65, and then 66, in time for those affected to make financial plans. In a statement campaigners said: WASPI believe that the Ombudsmans mistaken approach to injustice could mean many women perhaps hundreds of thousands receiving less compensation than they otherwise would.. The group's letter has more than 33,000 signatures. One such story meriting wider attention was the research carried out by a television news channel which found that the delay in the WASPI women receiving their state pensions has forced many of them into debt. Derbyshire Times 15:13 9-Feb-23. In response WASPI have issued the following statement: Bring closure and resolution to blindingly obvious injustice, say WASPI campaigners. Whilst the focus of the Stage 2 report is the six test case complainants, the Ombudsmans findings effectively apply to everyone whose circumstances are similar. The WASPI Campaign expected there to have been a Government response by now to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmans finding of maladministration, by Angela Madden, Chair of the WASPI Campaign appeared on Dewb's & Co on Tuesday 10th August. contact IPSO here, 2001-2023. Please visit our website www.waspi.co.uk for background info and news/updates re our campa . Without the state pension age rises that have affected Waspi women and are now affecting younger people, the state pension would eat up an ever-larger proportion of government spending, to the detriment of the rest of the people of the UK. This failure is the subject of an ongoing ombudsman. We have shared provisional views with complainants, their MPs and DWP. More info. "In a move towards gender equality, it was decided more than 25 years ago to make the state pension age the same for men and women. There is no timeline for the remainder of its investigations, but it is planning to move as quickly as possible. Get UK politics insight with our free daily email briefing straight to your inbox. WASPI has launched a fresh appeal to fund a High Court judicial review in their next steps on campaigning regarding state pension age changes. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 03:53. The ombudsman's initial finding of maladministration by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) centres on a delay in providing direct information to this group of women. When the conclusions come, there can be no more prevarication: payment needs to be fair and fast. Two WASPI women have described their frustration at a rising state pension age, arguing they were not told about the matter and didn't have sufficient notice. It sends a clear message to both the Ombudsman and the Government that we are NOT going away., Angela Madden is the national campaign chair for WASPI. Politics: The UK Government must take action on WASPI payments. WASPI held a fringe meeting at the Labour conference in Liverpool this week. However, the Department for Work and Pensions failed to make the women aware of this so that they could plan accordingly, only informing the women of this change in April 2009. This conclusion cannot be reconciled with the Ombudsmans Stage 1 report either, nor with his past practice. "It should have written to the women affected at least 28 months earlier than it did. In an earlier stage of the investigation, the PHSO found failings in the Governments communication of the changes. Ann Greer, co founder of WASPI Argyll and Isles, said: "Women can ill-afford donations to fund court action. If WASPI women cannot establish either direct financial loss or loss of opportunities that amounted to injustice, then their remedies for the maladministration the Ombudsman has identified, including compensation, could be very limited indeed. During the festive period, a lot of what is printed and broadcast as "news" isn't new at all but has been prepared some time in advance to fill space when stories are harder to come by. Waspi legal action over state pension age 'a waste', says expert as it continues to raise cash, Waspi's legal action over state pension age changes is 'morally wrong', says economist, Waspi women furious at delay in compensation for state pension age changes, Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi), Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmans (PHSO) full report into the state pension age changes, state pension age for both sexes is 66. Currently the state pension age for both sexes is 66. 20 July 2021. Around 200,000 women could be owed an average of 13,500 after their state pensions were underpaid, new figures reveal. 15:06, 1 MAR 2023. inaccuracy or intrusion, then please Campaigners feel that the Parliamentary Ombudsman has left them no choice, having made plainly irrational decisions." WASPI has published a 12-page 'letter before action' for the first time, setting out its legal arguments in detail. WASPI & Dewbs And Co - GB News. Women held up names and photographs of loved ones who passed away before reaching their new pension age. All rights reserved. Throughout the campaign and despite support across Parliament, WASPI has been dismissed by successive Governments, with Ministers consistently refusing to meet with the women affected and insisting in Parliament that sufficient notice was given, when even their Department knew this was not the case. AN estimated 3.8 million women were kept in the dark and now UK Parliamentary Ombudsman's report vindicates Waspi women on pension rights. 2023- Highland News and Media Ltd. All rights reserved. Whereas Waspi has called for bridging payments, the separate Backto60 group has campaigned for the state pension age for women affected to be returned to 60, and for these women to be refunded the pensions they had "lost" owing to the changes. Viewing numbers for the final dropped from 7.2million in 2021 to 5.2million last year. On the right-hand side there is a list of supporting documents. St James's Place (SJP) added 137 new advisers to its partnership and 257 advisers completed its Academy programme over 2022. WASPI has continuously argued that women were not adequately informed about changes to the State Pension age but their call for action has been repeatedly ignored and dismissed by Government. However, WASPI has taken issue with the way in which the PHSO case is progressing, arguing there are "inconsistencies" in the investigation. The current "leaked" one is due for publication in January 2023. It has launched a Crowdjustice appeal to fund a judicial review in the High Court against the PHSO. Its legal challenge has won the backing of a fellow campaign group, the Women Against State Pension Injustice Campaign 2018. It pains me to see Waspi raising womens hopes yet again, and worse, soliciting money from them that they can ill afford to fund what looks to me like a hopeless case. Women born between 1950 and 1960 were affected, when the government raised the pension age for women from 60 to 65, and then to 66, bringing it in line with age that men can withdraw their state pensions. WASPI women have been protesting against the state pension increase changes for years, finally feeling "vindicated" following the Parliamentary Ombudsman ruling on July 19 (Image: WASPI Campaign . It is unable to recommend any change in policy, which could have brought much larger sums in compensation. By 2028, it will increase again to 67. The increases have been controversial. Puzzles. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? MP Ben Lake backs parliamentary motion for Ceredigion Waspi women Tivyside Advertiser, Wales 14:51 9-Feb-23. The UK Government would do well to start putting in place the means to get compensatory payments out to those affected so that the financial hardship they have had to ensure for years comes to an end as quickly as possible. Waspi hopes to raise 100,000 to challenge the PHSO's decision-making, saying that if just three per cent of the women affected donated 1, they would raise the required sum overnight. See more. This repeated its view that the DWP was guilty of maladministration, but added that it did not lead to all the injustices claimed. Women's State Pension age change compensation closer for WASPI campaigners after ombudsman ruling . An appeal to fund this legal battle has amassed 76,000 in less than seven days. They said the changes resulted in both financial and emotional distress as they waited years longer than expected for their state pension. Data released by WASPI this week suggests that 9,000 of those in the age group will die over the winter. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmans (PHSO), state pension age for both sexes is 66. We have shared provisional views with complainants, their MPs and DWP. New calls for 'justice' for Waspi women over State Pension age compensation from MPs Daily Record 10:55. Angela Madden, chair of Waspi, said: With the support of hundreds of thousands of women, our campaign has made significant progress over the seven years we have been going, but its a hard slog. Ms Coppola added: There is another reason why I believe compensation for Waspi women is the wrong solution. An ombudsman report published in 2021 said DWP maladministration meant women did not get the 28 months notice they should have had in order to plan for their future. In short, it makes a massive difference to the injustice that the maladministration caused. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. Women Against State Pension Inequality campaigners won't give up. . News. The Waspi campaign group is facing backlash after unveiling plans for fresh legal action in their fight against the way increases to their state pension age were communicated. State Pension Apr 16 2021. . Waspi claims that while the 1995 Conservative government's Pension Act included plans to increase the women's state pension age to 65 - the same as men's - the . WASPI women hope 2021 is the year they cry for joy as they see end in sight on pension battles ; By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies -. With 21 days to go it has already gathered 81,305. An initial report by the watchdog said letters should have been sent from December 2006, meaning most would have known they were impacted by 2009. STATE PENSION age has been central to an important debate in recent years, and following an important review this week, the future for many women hangs in the balance. However, the second stage has now concluded that these failures in communication did not lead to all the injustices claimed. Time to brush up your skills, State pension will undergo six key changes from next month, WASPI calls on men to support state pension age campaign, Furious WASPI women dig deep for new challenge.