DWP urged to set up 'hardship fund' for WASPI women who lost out on state pension

WASPI Women Assemble In Parliament Square On International Women's Day London
-Credit: (Image: (Image: Getty))


Conservative MP Sir John Hayes has urged the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to think about setting up a "hardship fund for women affected by the change to the State Pension age".

Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds, however, holds that the "best way to support people, including women who have been affected by the change to the State Pension Age is to help them to retrain, return to or progress in work".

In her written response to Sir John earlier this week, she noted: "For those women who are unable to work but who are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age, financial support is still available through the welfare system."

The group known as WASPI women (Women Against State Pension Inequality) have been awaiting the Government's stance on cross-party demands for compensation since March. This follows the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO)'s final report issued on March 21, which found the DWP guilty of 'maladministration' for not adequately informing women about the increase in the State Pension age from 60 to 65, and then to 66.

Current figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest around 3.5 million women born in the 1950s have been affected by the changes to the official retirement age, as reported by the Daily Record, reports the Express.

The PHSO report has made it clear that "Parliament must urgently identify a mechanism for providing that appropriate remedy" and suggested compensation at level four on its scale, which amounts to between £1,000 and £2,950.

Despite these recommendations, there has been no progress in setting up a redress scheme.

Angela Madden, Chair of the WASPI campaign, shared her positive outlook following a recent meeting, saying: "A meeting with the new Pensions Minister 'is the start of something'" in the ongoing fight for fair compensation for women impacted by changes to the State Pension age.

This confidential meeting took place at Westminster earlier this month, where Ms Reynolds met with representatives from WASPI.

However, after the meeting, while speaking on BBC Breakfast, Ms Madden highlighted the almost ten-year-long battle for justice, noting this as the first ministerial meeting aimed at pushing forward the PHSO's recommendations.

Reflecting on the importance of this engagement, the WASPI chair remarked: "Our campaign has been going for nearly 10 years now and this is the first meeting we've had with a Pensions Minister. So that's quite significant."

She expressed her feelings about the reception they received: "We certainly felt listened to, Emma Reynolds is new in this job and she very much was listening, gathering information and understanding our position. She's certainly got the official information, she's read the reports (PHSO) and knows we appeared at the Work and Pensions Committee meeting earlier in May."

In the run-up to the election, polls showed that 68 percent of the British public support 'fair and fast compensation' for women who were not adequately informed about changes to their State Pension age.

Nevertheless, with parliament currently on break for party conference season and not set to return until October 7, it seems unlikely that any announcement regarding a compensation scheme will be made before then.

It should be noted that when DWP Ministers return to the House of Commons for oral questions as parliamentary business recommences, the session is anticipated to focus heavily on the controversy surrounding cuts to Winter Fuel Payments affecting 10 million pensioners. However, it would be unexpected if the topic of State Pension age compensation didn't come up from at least one MP.