AIBU in thinking the government have made the correct decision not to blanket pay all WASPI women £3k? This goes against the Ombudsman recommendations to pay between £1k-3k to every WASPI women.

Which is the whole crux of the matter. Not the rise the fact the government forgot at the end of this was a woman who need to be told and perhaps have it explained and they weren't all financially savvy.

Young people need to sit up and take notice. I predict within the next 10 years the state pension will start to be removed/reduced altogether.

Those working in reasonably paid jobs especially need to take note, you'll have spent your whole life funding others and putting up with crap services/stuff being taken away only to find that your retirement will look similar to someone who never bothered to work. In fact there are quite a few pensioners now who are better off than others due to the uplift of pension credit.

Wrong decision imo, a process wasn't followed, the women weren't written to. I suspect some hapless civil servant thought it wasn't worth bothering as it only affected women.

You can't expect everyone to live the same life and want to research and watch the news. These days financial services have to be crystal clear and watch out for vulnerable customers, those who don't have the financial knowledge or understanding would come under this. Why shouldn't the government be held to the same standard.

Women have always worked. Only middle class women didn't, and no, tbh, I don't think a few years caring for preschoolers is a lifetime of work.

What letters?

There wasn't proper notification of the pension age rising past 65

What is a jummy mummy?

Work how?

No funded nurseries back then. No maternity pay. No jobs even held open till the 80s
So what did they do with the children?

And if that was the only thing they were campaigning about I think there would be a lot more sympathy - but there was a very vocal cohort who were campaigning to still be allowed to take state pension at 60

Don’t worry all of you 30+ jummy mummy’s what goes around comes around. By the time that you retire there will be no state pension and you’ll be working till you drop

I think that's exactly why people aren't keen on paying out £10bn in compensation to people who still got to retire much eaŕlier...

Like others, I think the ombudsman was wrong on this and so support the government. You just can't set the precedent that people deserve compensation for well advertised changes to state benefits - and the only reason anyone contemplates it here is that people are really squeamish about accepting that the state pension is a benefit. It was fundamentally wrong and based on sexist assumptions to have a different retirement age for men and women and it's not reasonable to say that a government couldn't change that without writing to everyone individually.

Why wouldn't they? Can they not take responsibility for watching the news, reading letters sent, doing their own research?

Right decision. For tax and pensions it is the responsibility of the individual to keep up to date on changes. Retiring at 60 in the current economic climate and with current longevity is simply not reasonable. Sorry.

Waspi here. I never bought the Waspi argument - I felt I had plenty of time to catch up, and anyway it was nuts that women could get their pension 5 years earlier than men, especially when women’s life expectancy has always been longer. I’d rather the money was spent on the NHS (which I am increasingly benefitting from).

And? Lots of other people wouldn't have understood or realised it meant them.

I knew my pension age increased to 64 but suddenly the coalition escalated it to 66. That's the issue for me and that's what most people don't understand.

Then they probably should write a letter every time they do that until they learn people need notice to plan financially

@Kingoftheroad I mean we know that, which is why we aren't keen on giving billions of pounds to people pissed off they couldn't retire at 60.

Less than me? I have never stated my income.

I couldn’t agree with you more. I am disgusted by the comments. If this had happened to men it would have been settled long ago. Given that the Scottish Government have failed to account for 8 billion guven during covid, this amount is a drop in the ocean.

This affects the poorest women in the country who have already suffered having their winter fuel allowance removed.

20 years ago Gordon Brown identified the oap’s as being the most deprived in our society thus the reason for introducing the winter fuel payment.

Don’t worry all of you 30+ jummy mummy’s what goes around comes around. By the time that you retire there will be no state pension and you’ll be working till you drop

It’s difficult to reconcile the views on this board sometimes. On the one hand, when it comes to the WFA it was right to withdraw it and no one needed it. And anyway, pension credit or whatever it’s called is there for those in need. On the other hand, just 5 to 7 years apart, this bunch of women are all destitute and it’s a grave injustice that they won’t be compensated. Even though, if they truly are that hard up universal credit will plug the gap.

Say what you like about this government, they are at least consistent. I’ve made my own judgement about whether consistently good or bad, but certainly consistent at ‘U’ turns on its position before being elected. It’s almost as if the grown ups didn’t realise how hard being in government is when they were playing student politics in opposition…

My mum is affected. She knew and understood; said it was communicated very clearly and she had plenty of time/opportunity to rectify the matter and get more information.

Pulled 50 million out of his arse for Syria at the start of the week though didn’t he.

@goldencabbage Yeah but the state pension isn't a pension and you don't have any Ts&Cs to vary. The government just change eligibilty criteria for a state benefit. They do it all the time.

Why is it offensive? It's the truth. Where do you think the money is coming from? You're wanting to take it from people with less than you, who will retire later than you, who will never have the opportunity for housing that you have.

If you want the money, own it. But you have to live in the reality that it is selfish.

It makes me sad to see and hear how people talk about today’s pensioners. These are the people who paid tax and national insurance to help fund other peoples pensions. It’s as if people now claiming pensions are a drain on society and on young people who can’t get on the property ladder because older people are hanging onto their homes.

The Ombudsman should be listened to - the demographic on here is mostly younger so asking if the government is correct in going against the decision is a bit of a waste of time.