The UK Government has backed down on compensation for pension-affected women, agreeing to a "speedy and thorough" reconsideration within 12 weeks. The move led to the immediate cancellation of a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday and a judicial review trial set for December 9 and 10.
Ministers committed to completing the reconsideration by February 24 and will pay over half of the legal costs for the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group. The agreement marks a significant concession in the long-running campaign for redress over state pension age changes affecting 1950s-born women.
The reversal follows recent court proceedings that uncovered a 2007 Department for Work and Pensions evaluation. The rediscovered document had prompted officials to stop sending automatic pension forecast letters at the time.
Waspi Ready to Return to Court
Angela Madden, chairwoman of Waspi, welcomed the development but signalled the group remains prepared for further legal action. She said: «Yet again, Waspi has held its nerve and yet again, virtually at the steps of the court, the Government has backed down, this time accepting last year's decision denying the huge injustice suffered by Waspi women simply does not withstand scrutiny. Today's agreement on speedy and thorough reconsideration is welcome. But the Government should be in no doubt that Waspi stands ready to return to court if it yet again fails to do the right thing.»
The judicial review will be suspended during the reconsideration period but can be relaunched if necessary.
Background on Compensation Dispute
Last year, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommended compensation between £1,000 and £2,950 for each affected woman. The ombudsman found maladministration in how the government communicated pension age changes.
In December 2024, the Government acknowledged the finding and apologized for communication delays. However, ministers rejected a blanket compensation scheme, citing a potential cost of up to £10.5 billion to taxpayers.
The Waspi group argues inadequate information about state pension age changes led women to make financial plans based on incorrect assumptions, forcing them into prolonged working lives or financial hardship.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
