Starmer Signals Hope for 1950s Women: Pension Compensation on the Horizon?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has provided the most significant indication yet concerning the potential compensation for women born in the 1950s who were affected by historical adjustments to the state pension age.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has been advocating for financial redress for those impacted by the equalisation of pension ages between men and women, with many claiming they were not adequately informed of the changes.
Approximately 3.8 million women nearing retirement age are believed to have been affected by this policy shift, with campaigners highlighting its detrimental effect on their ability to save for retirement.
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During his visit to the G20 summit in Rio, Starmer addressed the media, revealing that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Secretary, Liz Kendall, will issue a statement in the not too distant future regarding this matter.
The Prime Minister remarked, It’s obviously a very serious report, and the response will be outlined by the DWP secretary.
WASPI campaigners had previously expressed their disappointment following Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Autumn Budget, which omitted state pension compensation from the fiscal statement. The Budget did, however, confirm payouts for those affected by the Post Office Horizon and infected blood scandals.
Last year, the Parliament and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found the Government guilty of maladministration in its handling of the state pension age changes.
In a subsequent report, the PHSO concluded that women born in the 1950s might be entitled to a Level 4 compensation amount, ranging from £1,250 to £2,950.
However, it is Parliament's responsibility to propose a compensation package for MPs to vote on, and no such package has been introduced in the past eight months.
This month, the WASPI campaign highlighted that 300,000 women have died since the fight for state pension compensation began, with one passing away every 13 minutes.
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