Women affected by changes to their state pension age are being warned that time is running out to secure potential compensation from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The Looming Deadline for Justice
The Labour government has committed to a root and branch reconsideration of its response to a critical Ombudsman’s report. This report highlighted the maladministration and injustice suffered by the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI). Ministers have agreed to a 12-week timetable to decide on a remedy, with a final deadline set for the end of February.
With the clock ticking, the union UNISON is issuing an urgent call to action. It is urging friends, family, and colleagues of WASPI women to write to their MPs to demand a fair outcome. "We must send a clear and united message," UNISON warned. "If the government lets WASPI women down again, they should not get away with it. This is the final opportunity to demand justice and fair compensation for women who have already waited far too long."
The Scale of the Injustice
The campaign centres on how changes to the state pension age were communicated. An estimated 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were affected. The law was changed in 1995 to equalise the state pension age for women with men, raising it from 60 to 65. A further change in 2011 accelerated the rise to 66 for both sexes.
While there was no legal challenge to the increase itself, WASPI argues the communication was severely flawed. Many women were given just 18 months' notice of a six-year increase to their pension age. In stark contrast, men received six years' notice for an increase of only one year. This lack of warning left many with no time to make alternative financial plans.
A Final Push for Fairness
WASPI has emphasised that the progress made is a direct result of public support. "None of this would have happened without the solidarity, commitment and support through donations of WASPI women and their allies," the campaign stated. It added that the coming weeks are critical, saying, "In the 12 weeks leading up to the Government’s new decision, we all have a great deal of work to do."
The campaign has always operated on a cross-party basis, seeking redress in Westminster where the pension age was set. The potential compensation figure being discussed is around £2,950 per woman, though the final decision rests with the government. For millions of women, the next few weeks will determine whether their long fight for recognition and compensation finally reaches a just conclusion.
