In recent years, the issue of WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) compensation has become a significant topic in the UK. Many women born in the 1950s have faced unexpected financial hardship due to changes in the state pension age. In this guide, we’ll explain what WASPI compensation is, who may be eligible, how much you could get, and provide an easy-to-use WASPI Compensation Calculator.
WASPI women are a group of women born in the 1950s who claim they were not properly informed about changes in the state pension age. Originally, women could claim their state pension at age 60. However, the pension age was increased gradually to align with men’s pension age of 65, and later increased further.
Due to poor communication from the government, many women did not have enough time to prepare financially for this change. As a result, thousands have faced unexpected hardship, loss of income, and struggles in retirement planning.
Several independent reports, including findings by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), have found that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to communicate the changes properly. The PHSO ruled that this maladministration caused significant injustice.
Many campaigners and MPs have argued that affected women deserve fair compensation to cover the financial and emotional impact caused by the lack of notice.
While there is no official compensation scheme in place yet, various recommendations have been made. The PHSO has suggested that compensation should range between £1,000 to £10,000 per affected individual, depending on the level of injustice suffered. Some campaigners believe that larger sums are fair to compensate for lost years and missed income.
The final amount will depend on government decisions and individual circumstances, but for now, women can use an estimated calculator to get an idea.
You may be eligible if:
You were born in the 1950s (specifically between April 6, 1950 and April 5, 1960).
You were affected by the changes in state pension age.
You did not receive proper notice about these changes.