Huge update to WASPI women compensation claim as government makes decision
Share:
MILLIONS of Waspi women will NOT get any cash compensation despite their long-standing campaign, ministers announced today. Welfare Secretary Liz Kendall insisted they “suffered no direct financial loss” when the state pension age was increased from 60 to 65.
![[Waspi women campaigners gather outside the Parliament in 2019]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/campaigners-gather-outside-parliament-protest-614704097.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Around 3.8million women born in the 1950s were affected by changes to the retirement age gradually hiked in 1995, 2007 and 2011. The Waspi - Women Against State Pension Inequality - campaign says they were unaware of the changes, which meant they were suddenly unable to retire and put out of pocket.
![[Welfare Secretary Liz Kendall said there would be no compensation]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/2024-liz-kendall-work-pensions-954266806.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
But Ms Kendall today said most DID know about the changes, and that their demands for up to £10.5billion of financial redress was unaffordable and unfair to taxpayers. She also said that while some DWP letters to the women informing them of the changes were sent out late, this did not have a major impact.
![[Waspi women began campaigning in 2015]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/supporters-labour-party-leader-jeremy-539514021.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
She told the Commons: “These two facts: that most women knew the state pension age was increasing and that letters aren't as significant as the Ombudsman says, as well as other reasons, have informed our conclusion that there should be no scheme of financial compensation to 1950s-born women, in response to the Ombudsman's report.".
She added: "The alternative put forward in the report is for a flat-rate compensation scheme, at level four of the Ombudsman's scale of injustice, this would provide £1,000 to £2,950 per person at a total cost of £3.5 billion and £10.5 billion. "Given the vast majority of women knew the state pension age was increasing, the Government does not believe paying a flat rate to all women at a cost of up to £10.5billion would be fair or proportionate to taxpayers.”.
