Almost half of women born in the 1950s have struggled to pay bills in the last six months and a quarter have struggled to buy food after a Tory shake-up to the state pension age.
The shocking survey of more than 7,700 women reveals the “devastating impact” of changes to 1950-born women’s state pension age.
A third of women pensioners report experiencing debt in the last six months, with thousands of women saying that not knowing about the hike to the state pension age was the direct cause of their financial hardship.
Campaigners from the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign, which conducted the research, said the “damning impact” could have been avoided if the Department of Work and Pensions properly communicated the changes.
Angela Madden, chair of the WASPI campaign, said: “The devastating impacts on thousands of women could have been avoided had the DWP done their job."
A government watchdog is currently investigating the DWP’s failure to communicate the raise in pension age from 60 to 65, and then 66, in time to let those affected make plans.
Men previously received their state pension at 65 and women at 60 but the retirement age is now 66 for everyone.
Women were given as little as one year’s notice of up to a six-year increase to their state pension age, compared to men who received six years’ notice of a one-year rise to their state pension age, WASPI campaigners said.
The campaign argues that this lack of notice robbed millions of women of the ability to adequately plan for their retirement.
The survey shows that close to 30% of affected women had already left work by the time they found out their state pension age had moved from 60 to 66.
A similar proportion - 32% - of those asked were unable to find new employment opportunities after leaving the workplace.
An affected 1950s-born pensioner in Preston, Lancashire, told the WASPI campaign: “The sudden elevation in [the State Pension age] devastated my life and still has consequences today.
"I lost my 27 year marriage, my health declined dramatically and my finances and ability to plan were no longer in my control.
“There has been no recognition of the injustice caused and the finances lost in the contentious domino effect. A working contract was broken and should be acknowledged, with fair and fast compensation paid.”
The latest research comes just days after 43 cross-party MPs wrote to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, demanding a fair investigation into the women affected.
Ms Madden added: “We’ve been completely overwhelmed by the response from 1950s-born women to our latest survey, showing the lasting impact of not being informed about State Pension age changes.
“We’re also saddened by the latest findings from affected women which show this cohort is amongst the worst affected by the cost-of-living crisis. All their retirement savings have been used and many are desperately awaiting the fast and fair compensation they deserve.
“The damning impact on WASPI women is clearer than ever before and as the Parliamentary Ombudsman reviews its investigation into the Department for Work and Pensions, it’s vital they take into account the full diversity of women’s experiences and the irreversible damage that has been caused.”
A government spokesman said: “We recognise the pressures of the rising cost of living which is why we have a plan to halve inflation and are protecting people with a £94 billion cost of living support package worth around £3,300 per household.
“The Government decided over 25 years ago it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women.
“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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