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Heartbreak defeat for 'Waspi women' as court rules out state pension compensation

Waspi campaign - Johnny Armstead/REX/Shutterstock/ Rex Features
Waspi campaign - Johnny Armstead/REX/Shutterstock/ Rex Features

Millions of women born in the 1950s, who have seen their state pension age increase from 60 to 65, have been dealt a devastating blow by judges who ruled they will not receive any compensation for lost state pension income.

The Court of Appeal ruled the women had not been discriminated against and backed the High Court’s claim that the Government's was right to correct "historic direct discrimination against men”.

This marks a disappointing end to a long-fought campaign for women who have argued they did not have enough time to prepare for the change, which they said has left them worse off in retirement.

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Until 2010, women were entitled to receive the state pension from the age of 60. The Government announced in 1995 that this would gradually increase to the age of 65 to bring it into line with men. Both ages now rise in tandem.

However, campaigners argued women born in the 1950s, who were most affected by the cliff-edge change to when they could retire, were not given enough notice or detail. They said their retirement plans were scuppered and they lost out on state pension payments.

Backto60, a campaign group leading the fight, took its plea to court after being granted approval to appeal a High Court ruling against their claims last October. Women Against State Pension Inequality, known as Waspi, has also campaigned against the change.

However, the Court of Appeal stood by the initial ruling that found that making the state pension age the same for men and women did not constitute unlawful discrimination.

The complaints made by campaigners called for a reinstatement of the age of 60 for women’s state pension and for compensation of the amount they have missed out on since the ruling. They have argued that the change discriminated against 3.8 million people, leaving them £47,000 out of pocket.

Davina Lloyd of Backto60 said it is a “travesty of justice in a misogynistic society”. She said: “We are fighters and we cannot let this happen to any more women in this country.”

The judgment rules out all compensation on grounds of discrimination. However, campaigners may still be able to claim there has been an injustice as a result of maladministration arguing the Government did not communicate the state pension age increase appropriately.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman began investigating six complaints from women affected in March. It has not indicated how long its verdict will take.

Baroness Ros Altmann, a former pensions minister, said the ruling did not come as a surprise as she “never thought there was discrimination”. However she believed women were misled by the Department for Work and Pensions via miscommunication over the changes.

A DWP spokesman said: “We welcome the Court of Appeal’s judgement, finding we acted entirely lawfully and did not discriminate on any grounds. We are pleased the Court decided that due notice was given and the claimants’ arguments must fail.”