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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Ben Reid

DWP: WASPI wants women’s State Pension injustice stories after maladministration found

The Women Against State Pension Inequality group (WASPI) is asking for women's stories on state pension injustice after maladministration by the Department for Work and Pensions was found.

Women born in the 1950s would have lost out as a result of the changes and set up the group as a result.

It came as women suddenly discovered they had years to wait until they could get their state pensions as the old rule of women retiring at 60 and men 65 changed.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has found maladministration by the DWP regarding the lack of adequate notice women received about the increases to our State Pension age.

He is now in the process of investigating what injustice was caused as a result of them not knowing. This could lead to a recommendation of compensation for injustice not already remedied.

The PHSO said: “We have asked the DWP to send us further evidence by the end of March 2022.

“We cannot progress stage two of the investigation without that evidence.”

WASPI adds this investigation is not the same as recommending the group get their State Pension back as that is not in his remit.

The group wants to encourage WASPI women affected to think about the different types of injustice the Ombudsman could find, and how they impacted on their life.

The group added: "The Ombudsman has broken this down into these categories:

  • Anger, Frustration and Outrage
  • Anguish, Worry, Anxiety and Uncertainty
  • Embarrassment, Humiliation, Loss of Dignity. Loss of enjoyment of Significant event
  • Tangible loss of quality of life
  • Inability to move on or obtain closure
  • Financial Worry
  • Disempowerment
  • Loss of sale of item of significant personal or sentimental value

"Do you feel you have suffered in any of these ways by not knowing about the increase in your State Pension age?

"Remember what the Ombusdman is looking at is how did not knowing your State Pension age was increasing influence decisions you made – not how much in State Pension actually lost.

"This can be difficult to calculate but it is an important distinction where the Ombudsman’s investigation is concerned.

"Please contribute to this discussion, your experiences are important to us. You can email us at waspicomms@gmail.com."

A DWP spokesperson said: “The Government decided over 25 years ago that it was going to make the state pension age the same for men and women as a long-overdue move towards gender equality.

"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.”

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