Women Against State Pension Inequality

The 1995 Pensions Act increased the state pension age for women from 60 to 65 in order to equalise the age with men, with the change to be phased in over ten years from 2010 for women born between 1950 and 1955.{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1995/26/schedule/4/enacted|title=Pensions Act 1995 - Schedule 4|publisher=legislation.gov.uk|date=|access-date=11 July 2017}} This transition was later sped up by the 2011 Pensions Act.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36266934|title=Women lose fight against delay to state pension|publisher=BBC News|date=11 May 2016|access-date=11 July 2017}} Both the 1995 and 2011 changes came as a shock to many, with women discovering that they would have to wait up to six years longer for their state pension, potentially affecting their retirement plans. In 2015, WASPI was formed by five women to argue for the government to provide transitional payments to women born in the 1950s receiving their pension after the age of 60.{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14920257.Women_protesting_state_pension_inequality_paint_Stroud_purple/|title=Women protesting state pension inequality paint Stroud purple|publisher=The Press|date=22 November 2016|access-date=12 July 2017}} They also call for compensation to women who now receive a state pension but had to wait longer.

Three of the five original founders stepped down as leaders after a split in August 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.ftadviser.com/2016/08/04/pensions/waspi-leadership-splits-remainers-ramp-up-campaign-M4oD5HUYKzjLZK8YyLiVWN/article.html|title=Waspi leadership splits, remainers ramp up campaign|publisher=FTAdviser|date=4 August 2016|access-date=12 July 2017}} A further three directors resigned in February 2018 following an emergency board meeting held the previous month where irreconcilable differences led to the resignations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ftadviser.com/pensions/2018/02/21/waspi-directors-resign-due-to-irreconcilable-differences/|title=Waspi directors resign due to irreconcilable differences|publisher=FTAdviser|date=21 February 2018|access-date=25 February 2018|language=en}}

WASPI's online petition to Parliament received 141,000 signatures resulting in a parliamentary debate on the issue of the changes to the state pension age.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jan/13/state-pension-for-women-parliamentary-debate|title=Women's state pension petition wins parliamentary debate|work=The Guardian|date=13 January 2016|access-date=12 July 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2016-02-01/debates/16020126000001/TransitionalStatePensionArrangementsForWomen|title=Transitional State Pension Arrangements for Women|publisher=Hansard|date=1 February 2016|access-date=12 July 2017}}

WASPI crowdfunded £100,000 to pay for legal action in order to challenge these changes.{{cite web|url=https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/waspi/|title=Fair State Pensions for WASPI women|publisher=CrowdJustice|date=|access-date=12 July 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.ftadviser.com/Articles/2016/11/07/Waspi-becomes-limited-company-crowdfunds-100k|title=Waspi crowdfunds £100k for legal fight|publisher=FTAdviser|date=8 November 2016|access-date=12 July 2017}} The money was used to take legal advice and on 8 March 2017, the group wrote to the Department for Work and Pensions threatening legal action if the government did not help lessen the impact on the affected women.{{cite web|url=https://www.ftadviser.com/state-pension/2017/03/09/waspi-lawyer-lays-down-gauntlet-to-government/|title=Waspi lawyer lays down gauntlet to government|publisher=FTAdviser|date=14 October 2016|access-date=12 July 2017}}{{Update inline|reason=What happened since with the legal action, after the threat?|date=February 2022}} This move coincided with International Women's Day and a march in London that many WASPI members attended.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-39206302/waspi-women-protest-in-london-over-pension-changes|title=WASPI women protest in London over pension changes|publisher=BBC News|date=8 March 2017|access-date=12 July 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/uk/1190282/waspi-women-descend-on-parliament/|title=North-east Waspi women descend on parliament|publisher=The Press and Journal|date=9 March 2017|access-date=12 July 2017}}

The organisation also has a number of groups across the country who campaign locally, including by asking their constituency MPs to sign the WASPI pledge.{{cite web|url=https://onthewight.com/local-waspi-women-take-part-in-national-day-of-action/|title=Local WASPI women take part in national day of action|publisher=On The Wight|date=30 May 2017|access-date=12 July 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.carolinelucas.com/latest/women-against-state-pension-inequality-waspi|title=Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI)|publisher=Caroline Lucas|date= 26 May 2017|access-date=12 July 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.timloughton.com/news/waspi-pledge|title=WASPI Pledge|publisher=Tim Loughton MP|date=9 May 2017|access-date=12 July 2017}}

Since the launch of WASPI, the issue of the state pension age has become more prominent, leading to its discussion in a number of parliamentary debates.{{cite web|url=http://www.waspi-appg.org.uk/?page_id=55|title=Debates in Parliament|publisher=APPG on State Pension Inequality for Women|date=2016-12-09|access-date=12 July 2017}} The issue played an important part in the 2017 general election with Labour's Jeremy Corbyn raising it in a session of Prime Minister's Questions and the SNP pledging to support the women.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-39723834/pmqs-corbyn-raises-waspi-issue-of-women-s-pensions|title='I'd listen to what Maureen has to say'|publisher=BBC News|date=26 April 2017|access-date=12 July 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/general-election/nicola-sturgeon-says-snp-manifesto-will-defend-pensioners-1-4451920|title=Nicola Sturgeon says SNP manifesto will defend pensioners|publisher=The Scotsman|date=20 May 2017|access-date=12 July 2017}} However, the Conservative government rejected the calls of WASPI, arguing that they had to make the state pension more affordable for taxpayers and requiring men to work longer than women by 5–7 years was grossly unfair and potentially illegal.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/pensions-retirement/financial-planning/minister-no-money-for-women-who-lost-out-on-state-pensions-and-t/|title=Minister: no money for women who lost out on state pensions, and 'that's that'|newspaper=The Telegraph|date=20 September 2016|access-date=12 July 2017|last1=Dyson|first1=Richard|last2=Morley|first2=Katie}} Furthermore, the WASPI campaign has been criticised by some commentators who point out that the change equalised pension ages and the claims of WASPI campaigners to the contrary is both sexist and unfounded.{{cite web|url=http://www.coppolacomment.com/2016/07/the-waspi-campaigns-unreasonable-demand.html|title=The WASPI campaign's unreasonable demand|website=Coppola Comment |first=Frances |last=Coppola |date=31 July 2016|access-date=2 December 2017}}{{cite journal |last=Pemberton |first=Hugh |author-link=Hugh Pemberton (historian) |title=WASPI's Is (Mostly) a Campaign for Inequality|journal=The Political Quarterly|volume=88|issue=3|pages=510–516|date=10 March 2017|doi=10.1111/1467-923X.12347|hdl=1983/707a2c8c-462b-498d-9a54-1070bcc950da|url=https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/waspis-is-mostly-a-campaign-for-inequality(707a2c8c-462b-498d-9a54-1070bcc950da).html|hdl-access=free}}

On 23 November 2019, Labour Party shadow chancellor John McDonnell pledged £58 billion to compensate all women born in the 1950s whose pension age was increased by the Pensions Act 1995.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2019-50534118|title=General election 2019: Labour pledges payouts to pension age rise women|publisher=BBC News|date=24 November 2019|access-date=24 November 2019}}

In a report in March 2024, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman considered in detail the experience of six women - "sample complainants" - selected to represent the range of issues women had complained to the ombudsman about.{{cite web |url=https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/sites/default/files/Women%E2%80%99s_State_Pension_age_-_our_findings_on_the_Department_for_Work_and_Pensions_communication_of_changes_Final.pdf |title=Women’s State Pension age: our findings on the Department for Work and Pensions’ communication of changes |website=Ombudsman.org.uk |page=18}} The Ombudsman found that the sample complainants should receive between £1,000 and £2,950 compensation for maladministration as a result of the Department for Work and Pensions' failure to heed its own research showing that public campaigns were not reaching enough affected women, and found that individual letters should have been sent by it to affected women between 2007 and 2012. The Ombudsman noted that some women were aware of the increase to pension age as a result of the public campaigns, and that older women's pension ages were increased by less. He also noted that compensation for affected women could either be assessed individually or by a flat payment. The Ombudsman stated that "the Department must do the right thing and it must be held to account for failure to do so".{{cite web |last=Musafer |first=Shanaz |title=Waspi women hit by state pension age rise push for £10,000 compensation |website=BBC Home |date=21 March 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68622764 |access-date=21 March 2024}}

On 17 December 2024 the Labour government rejected the recommendation of the Ombudsman with the minister for work and pensions, Liz Kendall, stating that there was no evidence of ‘direct financial loss’ and no financial compensation pay-out would be made to the WASPI women.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czr36842nd6o |title=Fury as women hit by pension age rise denied payouts |website=BBC |date=17 December 2024 |access-date=17 December 2024}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.waspi.co.uk/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality))}}

Category:Pensions in the United Kingdom

Category:Social security in the United Kingdom

Category:Feminist protests

Category:Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom

Category:Organizations established in 2015

Category:2015 establishments in the United Kingdom