Female pensioners in the UK await more information from the ombudsman

WASPI women regularly write to their MPs asking for change

WASPI women regularly write to their MPs asking for change Credit: WASPI Facebook

WASPI women in the UK await more information from the PHSO (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman) over possible compensation for lack of information over increasing female pension age to 65.

Its first findings were published in July 2021 and it confirmed that “if the 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.”

In fact, the DWP didn’t write to those who were likely to affected until 28 months later so they lost more than two years in which they would have had the opportunity to make financial arrangements

On August 15 2022, the PHSO announced that having exchanged information with various bodies, it was now in the process of considering what, if any, compensation it would expect to be made to those who have lost out both financially and emotionally.

What is clear however is that despite the call from the 3.8 million women affected and support from cross party MPs, the PHSO is not able to insist on back dating pension payments and both candidates for the Tory leadership, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak have indicated that they do not support any form of back dating.

This may however backfire on the Conservative Party if those affected are offered a better deal by opposition parties at the next general election due no later than January 24, 2025.

This is a detailed scale of compensation within the remit of the PHSO which ranges from zero if the upheld complaint is considered to be an irritation with no long-term affect to £10,000 more if quality of life has been so badly impacted and life expectancy has been severely reduced.

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