Hartlepool WASPI campaigners react to compensation call in long-awaited ombudsman report into DWP failures

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman published a long-awaited report on Thursday, March 21, which calls for people left worse off by state pension changes that were not communicated adequately should receive an apology and compensation, potentially totalling billions of pounds.

It has asked Parliament to intervene and “act swiftly” to make sure a compensation scheme is established saying to date, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has not acknowledged its failings or put things right for women affected.

The ombudsman’s investigation found thousands of women born in the 1950s may have been affected by DWP’s failure to adequately inform them that the state pension age was changing from 60 to 66.

It meant some lost opportunities to make informed decisions about their finances.

A national campaign has been supported by the Hartlepool WASPI (Women Against State Pension Injustice) Supporters group which was founded seven years ago.

Co-ordinators and life-long friends Barbara Crossman and Lynne Taylor, who are both 68, said: “We just hope that we are all paid what we deserve.

"It has bee proved that the DWP were wrong when they said they wrote to people. A lot of people have suffered because of it.

"It affects four and a half thousand women in Hartlepool who are probably sitting with their fingers crossed hoping things work out.”

In addition to compensation, the ombudsman said the DWP should acknowledge its failings and apologise for the impact it has had on complainants and others similarly affected.

Barabra and Lynne said with a general election looming, it may encourage politicians to act on the issue to try to win their votes.

They said some 270,000 women have died since the WASPI campaign started adding: “In Hartlepool we have lost a few as well.

"Time is of the essence.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said: “The Government will now consider the ombudsman’s report and respond to their recommendations formally in due course, and we will also co-operate with the parliamentary process as we have done throughout with the ombudsman.”