Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI)
During my time as a Member of Parliament, I have spoken to lots of women affected by changes to the state pension age. Some were particularly affected by the 2011 changes that George Osborne brought in as Chancellor. Others have explained to me their experience as women born in the 1950s - never getting the respect they deserved during their working life.
The current process being undergone relates to complaints dealt with by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which published in March 2024 the findings of its investigation into the way State Pension ages were communicated to 1950s-born women.
The investigation did not concern the principle of SPA equalisation, which successive administrations have supported, but rather the way in which this was conveyed to those affected.
In December 2024, the Government issued a formal response, having carefully considered the Ombudsman’s findings and all the advice and evidence available from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Since then, as part of the legal proceedings challenging the decision, evidence has been cited from a 2007 report. This was a DWP evaluation of the effectiveness of Automatic Pension Forecast letters. Had the report been provided to Ministers at the time, they would have considered it alongside all other relevant material. As such, and in the interests of fairness and transparency, the Government will now consider this evidence. That means the decision made in December 2024 on the communication of changes to the SPA will be retaken.
It is right that this matter is handled with care and integrity. However, it is important to stress that retaking the decision should not be taken as an indication that the Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress. The Court has been informed of this development. The process to retake the decision is underway and it is important that the Government give this full and proper consideration. The Government will update Parliament on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached and on 2nd December 2025 committed to retake the decision within three months. I will continue to follow any developments with interest.
I am glad that Labour put forward the first Minister in eight years to meet with representatives of the WASPI campaign to listen to their concerns directly.
I backed a 4.1% increase for the new State Pension, because pensions should support decent lives for retired women.
More widely, I know that lessons need to be learnt from what has happened over recent decades to ensure everyone can properly plan for their retirement. Information about any future changes to the SPA must be communicated in a timely and targeted way.