The DWP has refused to commit to providing compensation for the thousands of women affected by the WASPI issue despite a bombshell report released today (Thursday).
A new report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has ruled the Government should pay compensation to the generation affected by the issue, calling on Parliament to take up the issue.
The report looked at several complainants’ cases, recommending they be provided Level 4 compensation in accordance with the Ombudsman’s bandings, of £1,000 and £2,950.
Some MPs have previously called for WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) pensioners to get the top Level 6 compensation, providing payments of £10,000 or more.
But the DWP is not legally obliged to carry out the recommendations. A DWP spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “We will consider the Ombudsman’s report and respond in due course, having cooperated fully throughout this investigation.
“The Government has always been committed to supporting all pensioners in a sustainable way that gives them a dignified retirement whilst also being fair to them and taxpayers.
“The state pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so as we deliver a further 8.5 percent rise in April which will increase the state pension for 12 million pensioners by £900.”
The DWP previously said it would not be able to provide compensation because of the financial costs and resources that would be involved, according to the new report from the Ombudsman.
The report said: “It [the DWP] told us it considers that providing remedy would be inconsistent with good administration or guidance published by HM Treasury (‘Managing Public Money’).
“It also told us that using taxpayer funds to pay compensation for the consequences of the maladministration would likely need parliamentary and Treasury approval and, potentially, primary legislation.”
The DWP’s latest snub to the idea of providing compensation has angered WASPI campaigners.
WASPI chair, Angela Madden, said: “The DWP’s refusal to accept the clear conclusions of this five year long investigation is simply unbelievable.
“One of the affected women is dying every 13 minutes, and we just cannot afford to wait any longer. Now that the PHSO findings have at last been published, all parties owe it to the women affected to make a clear and unambiguous commitment to compensation.
“The Ombudsman has put the ball firmly in Parliament’s court, and it is now for MPs to do justice to all the 3.6 million women affected.”
However, WASPI pensioner Linda Southall told Express.co.uk she was “very impressed” with the new report and was hopeful they could get a payout.
The 66-year-old was forced to continue working when her state pension age was increased and she currently works a physically demanding job as a cleaner on a construction site.
She said: “Coming up for a General Election, I think if either Labour or Conservative don’t take up the cause, they’ll lose the votes. So I think we’re in a good position.”
Ms Southall said she was never notified of the increase to her state pension age until she read about it in the press.
She said: “I always thought when I was younger, 60 was the age. In my generation, we were all married young.
“I didn’t have a pension because I was married to a shift worker. I couldn’t really get a full time job, I had to work around his shifts and bringing up children.
“We weren’t told to get a private pension, it wasn’t really in the remit because we were too busy being mothers.”
Several of her bills are going up from April including council tax, which is going up 7.5 percent.
Another WASPI pensioner, Karen Woodward, 65, from Dorset, said she wouldn’t be celebrating just yet.
She told the BBC: “How long are we going to have to wait for the figure we should be receiving?
“It kind of makes you think that they’re waiting for more of us to pass away so it’s going to lessen the bill
“Yes it’s been proven that they should be compensating us, but when? They’re just gonna drag it on and on and on.”
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