Thousands of women who lost out on their state pension payments when the state pension for women was increased to bring it in line with men are struggling to pay for basic needs.
The WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign is calling for remuneration for the generation of women born in the 1950s who were impacted when the state pension for women increased from 60 to 66.
Some women who were affected only received 12 months’ notice of the increase meaning they had to quickly change their plans for their retirement.
Research from the campaign has found a quarter of WASPI women have struggled to pay for food or basic essentials in the past six months, as the cost of living has continued to increase.
Energy bills have more than doubled since last year while food inflation remains particularly high, with the most recent figure at 19.1 percent.
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One in three of those surveyed said they had been in debt in the past six months while thousands said they were having financial troubles because of the issue with receiving their state pension.
A Parliamentary Ombudsman investigation is underway scrutinising how the increase of the state pension age from 60 to 66 for women was handled.
The first stage of the probe found ‘maladministration’ in the way the DWP communicated the changes to those who would be affected.
The Ombudsman is now determining what compensation should be offered to those affected as a result.
One woman affected by the state pension age increase said it “devastated” her life. She said: “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.”
A group of 43 cross-party MPs recently wrote to the Ombudsman calling for a fair investigation into the issue.
Angela Madden, chair of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign said: “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.
“The devastating impacts on thousands of women could have been avoided had the DWP done their job.
“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.”
“All their retirement savings have been used and many are desperately awaiting the fast and fair compensation they deserve.”
She called on the Ombudsman to consider the “irreversible damage” done to those affected as they investigate the issue.
A DWP spokesperson said previously: “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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