Today In Parliament: I'm sure they mentioned WASPI but.....

Subpostmasters is much worse and I also think the victims of the blood scandal deserve their compensation paid as quickly as possible.

I worked till just before my 70th birthday, I knew for years the age was changing and everyone I knew in my age group knew. I don't understand how people didn't know.

I was born in 1957 and received my pension at 66. I was not told of any change to my pension age at any point. I did receive a letter from the DWP when I turned 58 in 2015 that stated clearly that I would receive my pension at 60. Obviously incorrect information, sent to me from the department that should have known that my pension age had been changed in 1995.
I have always read newspapers (more than one) daily and listened to the news, but was unaware of either change to the pension age.
I agree with it being equalised, but I also remember that it was definitely not equal when I joined the workforce. Women were often not allowed to pay into work pension schemes at all or not allowed to pay a full contribution. Our wages could be legally lower than men doing the same job and some (usually higher paid jobs) were not available to women. We were not equal until it saved them money to make it so.
I retired at 60 with a small workplace pension. I wouldn’t have done so if I had known, I would have lowered my hours, as I was not able to manage the full time work due to health and caring responsibilities. As it was, I found no one around here would employ a 60 year old willing to do almost anything and my former employer had already filled my post before I left.

growstuff

theworriedwell

So the oldest are 74 and youngest are 64. The way people talk it's like we are more like late 70s and 80s. Also the older ones only had to wait a fairly short time as it didn't just change overnight but was staggered. The second change was the bigger issue in my view.

I agree with you. I knew from the mid 1990s that my pension age would be 65 - the same as men. I remember when the second change was announced and my heart sank. By then, I was already starting the countdown to retirement and I felt really down about having to struggle on for yet another year.

I too knew about the first change but was never notified about the second one apart from hearing about it on the news - no official communication. I received my pension less than 3 weeks before my 66th birthday as I was born in 1954 so part of the 'staggered group. Thankfully I was still well enough to carry on working and continued for a short while after I got my state pension as I didn't want to retire during the pandemic without a sendoff! I left at the half term after returning to work in theSeptember. One of my colleagues is still working there at 68+ as there is no longer a requirement to leave when you reach retirement age like there used to be. I suspect there will not be compensation coming any time soon though it would be nice if it did. However the injustices suffered by the subpostmasters is so much greater and should definitely be dealt with more urgently.

21theworriedwell

I agree. I was one of the last of the original stagger. Took my state pension at 62. It's the women from 1953 to 1959 that have suffered the most. Even so ignorance is only half the excuse because I told my daughters all about it and they remember me telling them in the 90's. I think the 53-59 maybe up to 1960 births should receive so thing but no way will they get what they think they should. To be honest it wasn't a surprise once they increased the men to 65 it was only a matter of time.

CariadAgain

theworriedwell

How old are waspi women? I'm 71 and thought I was at the older end so many must be 60s and very early 70s. I'm a bit alarmed that we are all dying off so fast. I thought I'd got another 15 plus years to go.

I must go and check dates.

I'm in the first contingent of WASPI women - ie before they cut it all a 2nd time - and I'm 71. The average age of death for British women to live to is 83 currently. The way they work out these "age of death" things seems to be on the basis that the most unhealthy ones will die first. At our age they start adding years of expected life onto those of us still alive - as we are the healthiest contingent and there I was thinking "83 - thank goodness it's not older than that" - but they've already added a year or two onto what they expect a 71 year old woman to live for and I think they've put my personal expected age up to 85? I'm thinking "Agh! If I live another couple of years are they going to revise it again (yes they are) and will that mean they expect me to live into my 90's !!!! EEEk! Oh no......I am NOT going to live into my 90's - I've long decided on that".

I've long had the government sussed well enough to know it will be a deliberate part of their plan that as many as possible of us will have reached the age where we personally die anyway (ie to save themselves money). Though the biggest saving they will make is that even those of us of an age where there has been maximum effect on our pensions will only get £3,000 anyway. BIG deal - not! - £3,000 thanks a bunch for the peanuts. At 71 I'm guesstimating I'll only be due for between £1,000 and £2,000. These days there isn't much one can do with that sort of payout. I'll only take mine on principle of getting what I can of my money back from them - but it wouldnt even be enough to cover a good holiday - so "Thanks for nothing" is my take on that.

So you want to look up actuarial tables. It's something like that where I put in what age I am now and found they'd added a bit for me personally and I tried putting in a variety of ages and it came up with a different "death age for me personally" according to what age I put in as my current one.

If you weren't affected by the 2nd change you weren't one of the big losers. I'm also 71 but was hit by the second change so probably close to 2 years older than you by the time I got my pension.

I certainly don't expect any compensation for the first change, it was well known years in advance. The 2nd change is more problematic as we didn't get much notice so I would understand people expecting some help with that.

Yip....same as Post Office Scandal. Prolong and delay it long enough and they'll shuffle off the planet

Not sure how I came by it but it wasn't there some information about no matter the decisions by a Judge, Ombudman were in favour of WASPIs there was no legal obligation on the government to pay anything. Don't hold your breath.

theworriedwell

How old are waspi women? I'm 71 and thought I was at the older end so many must be 60s and very early 70s. I'm a bit alarmed that we are all dying off so fast. I thought I'd got another 15 plus years to go.

I must go and check dates.

I'm in the first contingent of WASPI women - ie before they cut it all a 2nd time - and I'm 71. The average age of death for British women to live to is 83 currently. The way they work out these "age of death" things seems to be on the basis that the most unhealthy ones will die first. At our age they start adding years of expected life onto those of us still alive - as we are the healthiest contingent and there I was thinking "83 - thank goodness it's not older than that" - but they've already added a year or two onto what they expect a 71 year old woman to live for and I think they've put my personal expected age up to 85? I'm thinking "Agh! If I live another couple of years are they going to revise it again (yes they are) and will that mean they expect me to live into my 90's !!!! EEEk! Oh no......I am NOT going to live into my 90's - I've long decided on that".

I've long had the government sussed well enough to know it will be a deliberate part of their plan that as many as possible of us will have reached the age where we personally die anyway (ie to save themselves money). Though the biggest saving they will make is that even those of us of an age where there has been maximum effect on our pensions will only get £3,000 anyway. BIG deal - not! - £3,000 thanks a bunch for the peanuts. At 71 I'm guesstimating I'll only be due for between £1,000 and £2,000. These days there isn't much one can do with that sort of payout. I'll only take mine on principle of getting what I can of my money back from them - but it wouldnt even be enough to cover a good holiday - so "Thanks for nothing" is my take on that.

So you want to look up actuarial tables. It's something like that where I put in what age I am now and found they'd added a bit for me personally and I tried putting in a variety of ages and it came up with a different "death age for me personally" according to what age I put in as my current one.

Oops! Just noticed the typo in my earlier post. It should read: 'I'm one of those people who knew in 1995 that my SPA would be 65.'

Delila

I heard a brief but rather supportive mention of the Waspi Women on Today in Parliament last night, in the context of making people wait until they’re 67 or 68 to receive State Pension, and the hope that those affected will be given fairer warning than the Waspi Women were.

One of my sisters, born in 1961, already knows that she will have to wait until she's 67 for her state pension.

I heard a brief but rather supportive mention of the Waspi Women on Today in Parliament last night, in the context of making people wait until they’re 67 or 68 to receive State Pension, and the hope that those affected will be given fairer warning than the Waspi Women were.

Daddima

growstuff

Mamardoit

Of course they won't. Look at what's happened in the past. People experiencing more injustice have waited decades.

The courts have ruled that WASPI women didn't suffer injustice but poor communication, which isn't the same at all.

This is true, so it’s about how long we had to make provision for retirement, meaning the age 66 retirers had longer to make plans than the 60+ months ones. I think the Ombudsman did recommend compensation for the lack of advance warning rather than lost pension payments.
I’m not holding my breath.

What was the shortest notice time people were given that their SPA would be changed?

Sorry, I'm one of those people who knew in 1995 that my SPA would be 1995. I was then given ten years' notice that my SPA would be increased by another year.

Maybe people like me shouldn't be given any compensation at all because I did know. In that case, I'd be penalised for taking an interest in current affairs and trying to keep abreast of changes, especially those which affect me.

growstuff

Mamardoit

Of course they won't. Look at what's happened in the past. People experiencing more injustice have waited decades.

The courts have ruled that WASPI women didn't suffer injustice but poor communication, which isn't the same at all.

This is true, so it’s about how long we had to make provision for retirement, meaning the age 66 retirers had longer to make plans than the 60+ months ones. I think the Ombudsman did recommend compensation for the lack of advance warning rather than lost pension payments.
I’m not holding my breath.

No I don't think about it. I think I got my pension at 64 years 9 months. The second change added 18 months if I remember correctly. With a disabled husband who hadn't worked for nearly 30 years and youngest still at university I was never going to retire at that point anyway. Finally made the break just before 70th birthday but still get asked to go in occasionally.

growstuff

Mamardoit

Yes those that missed out on six years pension should really get more. I'm one of those and so is my sister but we both know it is very unlikely. I will be fine but she is single and in a rental property. There is a real chance her rent could rise to a level she can't afford. Not a nice thought that an older woman who has worked since she was 16 could end up on the street. Lots like her have very small private pensions.

She won't of course because family will make sure that doesn't happen.

Has she applied for Housing Benefit?

She my well have to. She's still working full time. Retires next year.

Mamardoit

Of course they won't. Look at what's happened in the past. People experiencing more injustice have waited decades.

The courts have ruled that WASPI women didn't suffer injustice but poor communication, which isn't the same at all.

theworriedwell

@growstuff do you know if they are suggesting the same compensation for all women. So women who got their pension at 60 years one month getting the same as women who got it at 66 years. I can see that causing some upset if they do it like that.

No, I don't have any details at all. I don't think anybody has. As far as I know, the ombudsman's conclusion was just a suggestion. There isn't even (AFAIK) any commitment to pay anything.

TBH, I don't even think about it. If a few hundred pounds turns up in my bank account one day, I'll be overjoyed, but I'm not expecting it and it certainly doesn't appear in my household budget calculations.

Of course they won't. Look at what's happened in the past. People experiencing more injustice have waited decades.

@growstuff do you know if they are suggesting the same compensation for all women. So women who got their pension at 60 years one month getting the same as women who got it at 66 years. I can see that causing some upset if they do it like that.

theworriedwell

So the oldest are 74 and youngest are 64. The way people talk it's like we are more like late 70s and 80s. Also the older ones only had to wait a fairly short time as it didn't just change overnight but was staggered. The second change was the bigger issue in my view.

I agree with you. I knew from the mid 1990s that my pension age would be 65 - the same as men. I remember when the second change was announced and my heart sank. By then, I was already starting the countdown to retirement and I felt really down about having to struggle on for yet another year.

Mamardoit

Yes those that missed out on six years pension should really get more. I'm one of those and so is my sister but we both know it is very unlikely. I will be fine but she is single and in a rental property. There is a real chance her rent could rise to a level she can't afford. Not a nice thought that an older woman who has worked since she was 16 could end up on the street. Lots like her have very small private pensions.

She won't of course because family will make sure that doesn't happen.

Has she applied for Housing Benefit?

theworriedwell

I wonder how much the oldest waspi women are expecting? You know the ones who got their pension a few weeks or months late. Hope they aren't expecting thousands.

I was one of the first to receive my pension at the age of 66. I was born in 1955 and am now 69. Anybody older than me received their pension at a slightly younger age.

My understanding is that the court cases ruled out compensation related to the 'lost' amount (so forget about thousands), but report by the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman suggested Level 4 payments of between £1,000 and £2,950 to women affected, in recognition of the poor communication.

Well we are a generation that fought for equality so we can't decide to reject the bits we don't like. How about the men should they be getting compensation? How could it be fair otherwise and how far back should we go.

I can't see how the later waspi women didn't get notice as it had been in the headlines for years. Personally I'd be embarrassed to say I hadn't kept an eye on my pensions and when they'd be payable.

Yes those that missed out on six years pension should really get more. I'm one of those and so is my sister but we both know it is very unlikely. I will be fine but she is single and in a rental property. There is a real chance her rent could rise to a level she can't afford. Not a nice thought that an older woman who has worked since she was 16 could end up on the street. Lots like her have very small private pensions.

She won't of course because family will make sure that doesn't happen.

theworriedwell

I wonder how much the oldest waspi women are expecting? You know the ones who got their pension a few weeks or months late. Hope they aren't expecting thousands.

Expectations have consistently been set at the lower end of between £1,000 and £3,000 and most of the Waspi women I know, who are struggling, are in the full blown six-year raise--plus-acceleration category. They should be getting much more than that, of course.

Sadly, I'm not thinking the payments will ever amount to much as all governments seem to be sticking to the "longer we leave it, fewer there'll be" system which has served them so well for the Post Office and blood scandal victims.