Ministers reject Waspi calls for compensation after rethink

Women affected by changes to the state pension age have reacted with fury after ministers again rejected their claim for compensation.

The government reconsidered the case after a new document came to light, but has again concluded no compensation should be paid.

Campaigners say 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed of the rise in their state pension age, which brought it into line with men.

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group said the latest decision demonstrated "utter contempt" for those affected.

"The government has kicked the can down the road for months, only to arrive at exactly the same conclusion it has always wanted to," said Angela Madden, who chairs the group.

"This is a disgraceful political choice by a small group of very powerful people who have decided the harm and injustice suffered by millions of ordinary women simply does not matter."

The government said the vast majority of 1950s-born women already knew the state pension age was increasing, thanks to a wide range of public information, including through leaflets, education campaigns, in GP surgeries, on TV and radio, in cinemas, and online.

Others, however, said they were unaware of the changes.

In 2024, a parliamentary ombudsman recommended compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 each for those affected.

While the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) could recommend compensation, it could not enforce it and the government rejected it.

The emergence of a 2007 survey, which had not been handed to then Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, prompted a review of the government's decision, with Kendall's successor Pat McFadden promising to check no other documents had been overlooked.

Now, the government has said a flat-rate compensation scheme for those affected would "cost up to £10.3bn and would simply not be right or fair given it would be paid to the vast majority who were aware of the changes".

More individual compensation "would not be practical to set up", it said.