The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has slammed the Government’s recent attempts to boost Pension Credit uptake, demanding a resolution to the unjust treatment of women born in the 1950s.
In response to the new Labour Government’s decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment, which offers eligible pensioners up to £300 to assist with energy bills, campaigners are persisting in their fight for “fair” compensation for women impacted by previous state pension changes.
Yesterday, the DWP initiated a campaign to enhance Pension Credit uptake, which could be worth an average of £3,900 per year for successful applicants.
The campaign’s objective is to raise awareness and increase claims for Pension Credit, which from this year will also automatically qualify eligible pensioners to receive the Winter Fuel Payment.
Currently, an estimated 880,000 pensioners are eligible to apply for Pension Credit but aren’t claiming it. The final date to make a successful backdated claim to receive the Winter Fuel Payment is 21 December.
Angela Madden, the chair of Waspi, stated: “No amount of ‘drives’ to take up Pension Credit can substitute for a proper resolution to the injustice meted out to Waspi women.”
“We need to see equal drive in government to understand and implement the recommendations both of the independent parliamentary ombudsman and the cross-party pensions select committee.”
The original WASPI campaign was initiated by women impacted by the increase in the state pension age for women from 60 to 65 in 2018.
This change, originally scheduled for April 2020, forced millions of women from this generation to delay their retirement plans and continue working.
The WASPI group alleges that approximately 2.6 million women have lost up to £50,000 due to the rise in the age limit. Since the campaign’s inception, the group estimates that over 270,000 affected women have passed away – an average of one every 13 minutes.
A Parliament and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) investigation concluded that WASPI women might be eligible for Level 4 compensation, ranging from £1,000 to £2,950. However, the campaign’s focus has now shifted towards opposing the means-testing of the Winter Fuel Payment, as this could lead to many pensioners losing their energy bill assistance.
