Burnham Confirms No Compensation for WASPI Women
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has confirmed that no compensation will be paid to women born in the 1950s who were financially impacted by changes to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) State Pension age. This decision follows a government review that upheld its earlier stance against compensation, dealing a blow to WASPI campaigners.
Earlier Support for Recompense
Burnham had previously suggested that Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) should receive some form of recompense. However, his team later clarified that he was not advocating full financial compensation. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell, noted: “Burnham’s pension views have largely focused on the needs of pensioners on low incomes. He briefly reopened the debate around compensation for women born in the 1950s who were affected by changes to the state pension age, saying there should be some recompense. However, his team clarified that he hadn’t meant full financial compensation. One suggestion is that they might get earlier access to cheaper travel schemes.”
Scope of the Issue
An estimated 3.6 million women, born on or after 6th April 1950 to 5th April 1960, are affected by the state pension age changes. In March 2024, the Ombudsman found that these women had suffered ‘injustice’ due to the DWP’s maladministration. The delay in notifying them about changes to their State Pension age meant they were denied the opportunity to make informed choices and lost a sense of personal autonomy and financial control.
Ombudsman Recommendation and Campaign Response
The Ombudsman recommended that affected women should receive compensation and an apology. The WASPI campaign has stated: “We are angry that we have been treated unfairly and unequally just because of the day we were born. Significant changes to the age we receive our State Pension have been imposed upon us with little or no notice and much faster than we were promised – some of us have been hit by more than one increase.”
Impact on Pensioners
The decision leaves many pensioners without financial redress for the disruption caused by the accelerated pension age changes. While Burnham’s administration focuses on low-income pensioners, the WASPI campaign continues to seek acknowledgment of the maladministration and its consequences.
