An investigation into the controversial increase in women’s state pension age is gaining momentum.
Over the past 10 years, there has been several changes to the State Pension entitlement for women. Previously, women had to be 60 to claim their State Pension. However, it changed to 65 for women between 2010 and 2018.
It is now increasing in stages, alongside men, until it has reached 68. However, after it was increased from 65 to 66, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman began an investigation.
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According to LancsLive, in its findings, it judged that in 2005, the Department for Work and Pensions ‘failed to make a reasonable decision about targeting information to the women affected by these changes,’ and that in 2006, the DWP proposed writing to women individually to tell them about the changes to the state pension age, but ‘failed to act promptly,’ branding both ‘maladministration.’
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said: “Women complained to us that DWP did not adequately communicate these changes. They say they have experienced financial loss and a negative impact on their health, emotional well being or home life as a result.
“They also complained that they suffered financial loss due to DWP inadequately communicating how many national Insurance qualifying years they need for a full state pension. They told us that DWP’s and the Independent Case Examiner’s (ICE) handling of their complaints about these issues had a negative effect on their emotional well being.”
Now the Ombudsman says its provisional views for the second stage of its investigation have been shared with complainants, their MPs, DWP and the Independent Case Examiner. It’s looking at DWP’s communication about the number of qualifying years of National Insurance contributions required for a full state pension, the ICE’s complaint handling, and whether any failings led to injustice.
It’s also announced it will speed up the process by publishing its findings and any suggested remedy simultaneously, stating that it is planning to publish what action it thinks DWP should take to remedy the apparent injustice. This would be to ‘minimise’ complainants’ wait to find out what the remedy should be, said the Ombudsman.
Campaigners - known as WASPIs (Women Against State Pension Inequality) - have long said 1950s born women suffered financially from the 1995 Pensions Act and subsequent legislation, which raised the state pension age for women born on or after April 6, 1950.
Both Tory leadership hopefuls, when quizzed on the matter, have expressed sympathy for the plight of WASPI women but declined to promise concrete action. Liz Truss last week said it wasn't 'handled well at the time' but that it would be unlikely to be sorted under her leadership. Meanwhile, former chancellor Rishi Sunak said, the previous week: “I’m going to be straight with you. I can’t promise you I’m going to be able to resolve that situation."
Ann Hughes, from Wigan said her health problems had been exacerbated since her state pension age was raised with little notice. Ann, who says she lost £53,000 through the decision, told LancsLive: “We do welcome this, but it’s been over a year waiting for the information on what they intend to do for us.”
A spokesperson for the DWP 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 DWP, under successive governments dating back to 1995, and the Supreme Court refused the claimants permission to appeal.”
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