The government has agreed to a swift and comprehensive reconsideration of its decision to deny compensation to women affected by changes to the state pension age, campaigners have announced. This development has led to the cancellation of a planned court hearing that was due to take place this week.
Court Hearing Cancelled as Government Backs Down
Campaigners for the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group revealed that a significant hearing scheduled for Wednesday has now been called off. This hearing was intended to decide whether a full judicial review trial, slated for December 9 and 10, should proceed. The group stated that a government agreement means these court dates have been cancelled.
According to the campaign, ministers have committed to using their 'best endeavours' to reconsider potential compensation within 12 weeks, setting a deadline of February 24. As part of the agreement, the government will also pay more than half of Waspi's legal costs.
Background of the Long-Running Dispute
The dispute centres on women born in the 1950s who argue they were not adequately informed about increases to their state pension age. The group contends that a lack of sufficient information led them to plan their finances based on incorrect assumptions, forcing many to work longer or face severe financial hardship.
Last year, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) published a report suggesting that compensation ranging between £1,000 and £2,950 could be appropriate for each affected woman. However, in December 2024, the government rejected a blanket compensation scheme. While it accepted the Ombudsman's finding of maladministration and apologised for delays in communication, it argued that a scheme potentially costing taxpayers up to £10.5 billion could not be justified.
A pivotal moment in recent court proceedings was the rediscovery of a 2007 Department for Work and Pensions evaluation. This document led officials to stop sending automatic pension forecast letters, a key point in the campaigners' argument.
Campaigners' Response and Future Action
Angela Madden, chairwoman of Waspi, welcomed the agreement but issued a stern warning to the government. She stated, 'Yet again, Waspi has held its nerve and yet again, virtually at the steps of the court, the government has backed down, this time accepting last year’s decision denying the huge injustice suffered by Waspi women simply does not withstand scrutiny.'
Madden added, 'Today’s agreement on speedy and thorough reconsideration is welcome. But the government should be in no doubt that Waspi stands ready to return to court if it yet again fails to do the right thing.'
The campaigners confirmed that the judicial review will not proceed while the government reconsiders its position. However, they emphasised that they could relaunch the legal process at a later date if the outcome of the reconsideration is unsatisfactory.
