WASPI

Bit late to the party here, but I had two letters, the second pushing the date back further!

Ali61

I'm not a WASPI either and have 2 years and 5 months to go before I receive my pension. You say that you were aware of the changes and were kept informed by the payroll office and that your employer made sure that all female employees knew about the changes. This suggests you worked for a large organisation which probably had a payroll and HR department. Alot of women in their 60s have had part time jobs with small companies or in shops, cafés etc where there is none of that kind of support.

I have always read the papers and watched the news, but if the government decides to put my pension age up to 68 instead of 67, how will I know that until it happens? I would literally have no money for a year. This is what happened to these women born in the mid 50s. 😕

There's a state pension age calculator
www.gov.uk/check-state-pension
'Use this service to find out:
how much State Pension you could get
when you can get it
if you can increase it
how you could increase it (for example, by paying to fill gaps)'

Obviously 50s women didn't have Internet access like we have
today, but learn from 50s women, this may change (like when a Chancellor wants a few easy quid and sees women as a soft touch)

I'm not a WASPI either and have 2 years and 5 months to go before I receive my pension. You say that you were aware of the changes and were kept informed by the payroll office and that your employer made sure that all female employees knew about the changes. This suggests you worked for a large organisation which probably had a payroll and HR department. Alot of women in their 60s have had part time jobs with small companies or in shops, cafés etc where there is none of that kind of support.

I have always read the papers and watched the news, but if the government decides to put my pension age up to 68 instead of 67, how will I know that until it happens? I would literally have no money for a year. This is what happened to these women born in the mid 50s. 😕

This is exactly what millions of women are saying - thank you Graphite for explaining what the DWP did (or didn't do!) regarding information. It's not a simple matter of being peeved at having to work until 66 or 67, it's the miscommunication and maladministration that should be compensated for, which of course is exactly what the Ombudsman found. I was born in 1961 so am not considered a WASPI, but my sisters were born in the 50s and fall into this cohort. They do deserve some compensation and an apology for the way the whole thing was handled.

Indeed.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202601/medium-9p8xl2-pension-guide-1.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202601/medium-6ueg9o-pension-guide-2.png

Note this Pension Service leaflet imprint August 2004 so nine years after the Pensions Act 1995.

It says:

In 2020 when the State Pension age for women is raised from 60 to 65 …

If your 60th birthday was in 2015, what would you infer from that statement? That you would get your pension at 60?

As I wrote upthread, three years later in 2007, I also had a letter from the Pension Service telling me I could claim my SP when I was 60. This was accompanied by a leaflet BB1 imprint 2006 which said SP age for men was 65 and women 60 - which technically it was then but no mention of the coming changes.

Just how much misinformation was there and for how long?

I can't count. If I'd been born eight hours earlier I'd have got my pension 4 months earlier. Expensive eight hours.

Graphite

Here's the chart:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-pension-age-timetable/state-pension-age-timetable

Thanks. Looking at that if I'd been born 8 hours earlier I would have got my pension 2 months earlier. So it changes but not six years because of a month's difference in age.

Here's the chart:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/state-pension-age-timetable/state-pension-age-timetable

It was introduced on a sliding scale so I don't understand how someone waited an extra six years because of a month later birthday. It didn't work like that.

theworriedwell

Aveline

The research showed that a large percentage of women did not receive notification of this change. As a 1954 woman I lost out the most and by a very short time. My friend with a birthday the month before me got her pension and I, a month later, had a 6 year wait. I won't forget this.

I was born late 1953 and I got my pension at 64yesrs and 10 months. I don't understand how your friend got her pension six years before you.

Yes, everyone who expected to retire at 60 but had to work to 66 lost six years. I don't follow how some lost more than others.

I’m not a WASPI woman but I was made aware of the changes to pension age through the payroll office. My employer at the time wanted to ensure that all female staff knew the details.

I think the whole issue has been badly handled both by successive governments and companies not advising fully on this change in pension age.

Aveline

The research showed that a large percentage of women did not receive notification of this change. As a 1954 woman I lost out the most and by a very short time. My friend with a birthday the month before me got her pension and I, a month later, had a 6 year wait. I won't forget this.

I was born late 1953 and I got my pension at 64yesrs and 10 months. I don't understand how your friend got her pension six years before you.

Born 1955 think my letter must have got lost in the post!

I am sure I had a letter about going from 60 to 65 but not about the extra year to 66. And I remember a lot of people at work talking about the letter too.

The research showed that a large percentage of women did not receive notification of this change. As a 1954 woman I lost out the most and by a very short time. My friend with a birthday the month before me got her pension and I, a month later, had a 6 year wait. I won't forget this.

The move to 65 was extensively discussed in the media. Many women received a letter about it. Some appear not to have but I think the widespread public information was sufficient. I don't think the Waspis have a good case. It's true Labour in opposition supported them but it's the Opposition's job to oppose. In government Labour's job is different.

theworriedwell

How patronising. No my husband didn't explain it to me, I keep up to date with news.

That was to mae13.

How patronising. No my husband didn't explain it to me, I keep up to date with news.

theworriedwell I'll not be voting for either of these governments who screwed us over.

I do think that part of the problem is that there are several different campaigns that want different things, including some that think women should have all the money they would have been paid had they received their pension at 60 rather then when they did. That was never going to happen but it muddies the water.

I don’t understand how the the alleged £10 billion cost of compensation has been calculated. As I said upthread, few would be able to substantiate a claim for levels 4 to 6. Paying 3.8 million women at the upper end of level 3 would cost less than £3.8 billion as so many have already died.

I am also dismayed at the excuses McFadden made:

• had we sent you a letter earlier you either wouldn’t have read it or, if you had, you wouldn’t have remembered it.
• there are too many of you to figure out who should have compensation and who shouldn’t
• we are giving you a £575 pension rise in April
• more people are now getting pension credit

Imagine saying that to a claimant for compensation in any other context.

You have an accident at work and your employer admits fault. They refuse to pay compensation because:

• had they put up a notice explaining the danger you wouldn’t have read it.
• too many people have had similar accidents through not reading a notice that wasn’t there that they can’t figure out who should have compensation and who shouldn’t
• you have an annual payrise due later this year.
• more lower paid workers are now getting universal credit.

It's illogical and is Labour shooting themselves in the foot all over again as they did at the start, refusing to remove the two child cap on UC and removing universal WFP.

To all the 'ladies' on this site who declare "well, I knew all about it!"..............so, your husband explained it to you in a way you could understand, I imagine.

Lucky you. Not.

Aveline

OK move on but remember! Women have the vote. I know who I won't be voting for.

Who? This govt, the last one, the one before that,?

OK move on but remember! Women have the vote. I know who I won't be voting for.

My husband is disabled and hasn't been able to work since his 40s, my youngest child graduated when I was 63. I was born late 53 so had little time to prepare for the second change. What did I do? I worked till I was 70.

It's history, time to get over it and move on.