Official announcements from the UK government or statements from the Work and Pensions Secretary

UK Government Denies £10.5 Billion Compensation to 3.6 Million WASPI Women, Liz Kendall Confirms

Dec 17, 2024, 03:09 PM

The UK government has confirmed that it will not provide compensation to the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) for the changes made to the state pension age. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall announced that the government does not believe that a compensation scheme is justified, despite a recommendation from the Parliamentary Ombudsman for blanket payouts. Kendall stated that there should be no compensation scheme for women born in the 1950s, arguing that they suffered 'no direct financial loss' from the changes. The Ombudsman had identified that approximately 3.6 million women felt inadequately informed about the pension age increase, which has been a point of contention among campaigners. The estimated cost of implementing a compensation scheme could have reached up to £10.5 billion. This decision has drawn significant criticism, with many campaigners and opposition members labeling it a betrayal of the nearly four million affected women. The government’s stance has raised concerns about the treatment of older citizens and the handling of pension communications.