'The government knows it got it wrong' – will payouts finally come to Waspi women hit by pension age hikes?

The government will reconsider its stance on Waspi payouts for women affected by the pension scandal. They previously reached the decision to reject compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age.

A report by the UK Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman released in March 2024 called on the government to compensate the 3.6 million British women born in the 1950s, who were not properly informed of the rise in state pension age.

There had been a 28-month delay in sending letters informing those affected of the changes. However, in December 2024, Work and Pensions Minister Liz Kendall responded to the report.

She announced that no compensation would be offered, suggesting most women would've known about the changes. Kendall added that letters outlining the age hikes arriving on time would not have made much difference.

A document not shown to Kendall at the time of the decision has now surfaced. In light of this, the government has agreed to reconsider its stance on Waspi compensation, although "there is no guarantee any payout will be made."

According to the BBC, the new and currently undisclosed evidence bringing the government to rethink their decision involves a survey from 2007. Further checks are to be made to ensure any further documents and surveys relevent to the case have not been missed.

Current Pensions Secretary, Pat McFadden, says, "Retaking this decision should not be taken as an indication that government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress.

"I understand that people are impatient for this matter to be resolved," he said, adding, "It is important that we give it full and appropriate consideration."

Angela Madden, chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi), says, "The government now knows it got it wrong and we are pleased they are now trying to do it properly."

Suggesting any compensation needs to be given "immediately," she concludes, "We hope they also try to do it quickly."

We spoke exclusively to three women affected by changes made to the state pension age and subsequent fallout.

Angela, 71, worked in senior management before retiring in 2008. Believing she'd be eligible for her pension on turning 60, six years later, she worked out her finances based on that timeline.

"In 2012, two years before my pension was due, I got a letter saying that I wouldn’t get it until 2020," Angela tells us. She adds, "I was floored. Having always worked full-time, I’d never been in a benefits office.

"Apparently, that’s where leaflets announcing the change could be found, but I never saw them. I couldn’t believe this could happen without me knowing."

Retired art educator Michele Carlile, 71, had an equally awful experience. "My retirement has been horrendous," she says, adding, "I nearly lost my home and had no choice but to work while medically unfit. The stress has taken a terrible toll."

Michele continues, “For me, the situation feels especially bad as my family has a history of serious heart disease, and doesn’t fit the longevity model used by the government."

Having been diagnosed with severe angina at the age of 59 and forced to stop work, she says, "since then, I’ve had two heart attacks, one of which nearly killed me last summer".

Michele concludes, "To me, this is a part of a bigger picture of historic gender bias. Women my age suffered massive pay inequality throughout our working lives and were not encouraged to pay into private pensions like younger generations."