
Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer, has signed our pledge supporting our campaign for fair and fast compensation for 1950s women. This supports our aim of securing cross-party commitment to implementing the Ombudsman's recommendations without delay when they are published.
Ian Blackford
SNP's Westminster Leader
“I am a longstanding supporter of the WASPI Women. “We await the report of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. The UK Government must not delay one moment more in introducing a fair and fast compensation scheme if this is recommended. “The SNP has been on the side of WASPI campaigners from the start and we continue to stand with women born in the 1950s in their fight for pension justice.”
Liz Saville-Roberts
Plaid Cymru's Westminster Leader
“The WASPI women have suffered hugely as a result of maladministration and failure by DWP to appropriately inform them of changes to their State Pension Allowance.
“Despite the clamour of outrage and years of campaigning, the UK Government have refused to support these women who are trapped in difficult financial situations through no fault of their own.
“The UK Government not only have a legal obligation but also a moral obligation to address the hardship caused to the women whose pension plans were cut short by the UK Government.
“If the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommends that the WASPI women should be compensated, then the UK Government must act immediately to deliver a fair and fast compensation scheme.”
FIRST MINISTER SIGNS WASPI PLEDGE
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has signed our pledge supporting our campaign for fair and fast compensation for 1950s women. This supports our aim of securing cross-party commitment to implementing the Ombudsman's recommendations without delay when they are published.
WASPI welcomes the submission which the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has made to the Ombudsman. It clearly sets out the various forms of injustice that we have suffered and makes a strong case for compensation at the highest level.
“The APPG strongly feels that now is the time for 1950s women to be given fast and proper compensation for the impact of successive maladministration.”
“These women … have faced horrific injustice and have been neglected time and time again. There is very little else to be said. The PHSO must act, and it must act robustly."
READ AN INTERVIEW WITH WASPI CHAIRPERSON HERE:
WASPI Scotland, together with WASPI Campaign 2018 and other 1950s pension groups, present SUBMISSION to the WASPI APPG
24/11/21
We consist of Scottish groups of 1950s born women campaigning against state pension injustices under the umbrella of WASPI Campaign 2018. We are run by volunteers who have also been affected and are campaigning about the injustice 50s born women are facing due to the way their State Pension Age was changed. We lobby at local, Scottish and UK level via our MPs. In addition we feed into the Cross Party Group at Holyrood (CPG) and the All Party Political Group (APPG) at Westminster on the the issues that affect 50s born women due to the rise to State Pension Age.
We call on the Government to agree fair and fast compensation for all women affected by the lack of notice regarding the State Pension age increases (1995 and 2011 Pensions Acts) to reflect their financial losses, the sustained damage to their mental health and well-being, and the additional impacts. We also call for the Government to act on the PHSO findings now to prevent any longer-term damage to WASPI women.
(adopted 9/12/21)
We have a network of local groups across Scotland and you can join our Facebook Groups, email us for help and advice, keep up to date with the latest news and take part in our Campaign action. Look for your local group in the drop down tab at top of page.
We are your first port of call to joining the Campaign. We can help you get a State Pension Forecast, explain our maladministration complaint process to the Parliamentary Ombudsman and about how the changes have affected you. Link to the Ombudsman's web site by clicking the link below for the latest updates on the process.
THE OMBUDSMAN IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW CASES
They have chosen 6 cases to investigate and we will keep you updated regarding how any decisions will affect us. Find your local group from the drop down menu above or you can message us directly.
7/12/2021
MP for the Livingston Constituency, Hannah Bardell, raises the WASPI question in House of Commons
The Ombudsman contacted six test cases they chose to decide how to proceed. They have now concluded STAGE 1 of the process into the way the DWP communicated changes to women's State Pension age, and related issues. STAGE 1 -
CONFIRMATION OF MALADMINISTRATION
If your State Pension Age was changed by the 1995 Pension Act then again by the 2011 Act and you had no or little notification you could write and complain to the DWP. Hundreds of women in Scotland have already done this and worked through the lengthy complaints process.
***PLEASE NOTE NO NEW COMPLAINTS ARE CURRENTLY BEING ACCEPTED ****
If the Ombudsman finds there has been maladministration the findings will apply to ALL 1950s born women affected by the State Pension Age rises. More details about the process can be found on their website.
The Complaints procedure is a process which takes some time but currently test cases have been chosen by the (PHSO) Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman, for a decision. Due to another legal challenge by the Back to 60 group, which led to a High Court Judicial review, all complaints were suspended awaiting the High Court Judgement.
However the investigation has now resumed and we received the STAGE 1 decision in July 2021.
The investigation is now at Stage 2
Absolutely. This is YOUR Pension that you paid into and you may not have been informed of the delay in time to plan for your expected retirement at 60. You may have been misinformed or the records held may be wrong. The test cases are currently with the investigation team at the Parliamentary Ombudsman and by law the process is confidential. Once the next stage findings are published these will be shared freely.
Once the next stages are published we will share updates on this website, and on our Twitter and Group Facebook pages. There are still a further two stages to complete.
Anything currently being published on social media that states otherwise is merely speculation or personal opinion so please wait for the official findings.
An Oldie We made this almost 2 years ago. The numbers affected have risen to 3.8 million women affected and the losses are now around £48000 each. We have had numerous more debates and demonstrations too since then. Help us finally right this injustice.
Some messages of support from our local MPs and MSPs.
The video of the song 63 winters written by one of our WASPIScotland members Jeanette and performed recently during her play Vicious which was staged in Glasgow. It highlighted the effect on ordinary women and their families by the delay of up to 6 years of the State Pensionafter Age, after a lifetime of work and caring purely by virtue of their birthdate. It includes real photos of WASPIScotland women which will strike a chord with those of you who have been similarly affected.
There are so many ways to support our campaign. Contact us to find out more about how to complain about the changes to your Pension, find other women affected and groups in your area, volunteer opportunities, and ways to get our message to your community
Scotland, United Kingdom
Alan raised our issue in the House immediately prior to PMQs. Huge thanks to him.
Huge thanks to Kirsten Oswald not only for raising this but for her continuing support.
Latest EDM on State Pension Age changes for 50s born women. Please contact your MP and ask them to support it.
Huge thanks to Allan Dorans for mentioning WASPI in his speech.
This Government must undertake an official impact assessment.
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