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AIBU?

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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.

583 replies

caringcarer · 17/12/2024 13:35

At the time it was in every newspaper for weeks, in the radio and on the TV news a lot of coverage via the media. Most women of this age agree they knew about pension age changes. At the time it was huge. I fail to understand how any women could not have known unless they lived off grid. No individual letters were sent out to the women who would be affected. The Ombudsman's recommendation was that a blanket payment of between £1k-3k be paid to all WASPI women. Labour have just announced no money will be paid out at all. It would have cost the taxpayer up to £10.5 billion pounds on top of the huge amount of my ney it has cost to review it for several years. It is money that the government just don't have. Assuming lessons have been learned and any future changes will see DWP send out letters to any individuals who it will directly affect. The only worry is that it sets a precedent of ignoring what the Ombudsman's recommendations.

OP posts:
MichaelandKirk · 17/12/2024 14:00

They didnt make an error. The WASPI women said they didnt know about the changes. Anyone could claim they didnt understand or didnt get the memo!

GallyGaff · 17/12/2024 13:57

Vaxtable · 17/12/2024 13:54

Funny how Labour found the money to pay off the rail drivers et al, and £50m for syria and everything else, but suddenly it’s to much to find to make payment for an error a government department made?

What error?

Vaxtable · 17/12/2024 13:54

Funny how Labour found the money to pay off the rail drivers et al, and £50m for syria and everything else, but suddenly it’s to much to find to make payment for an error a government department made?

Dasherandprancer · 17/12/2024 13:54

The problem is it is very hard to justify when schools and the NHS are on their knees crying out for funds. Allocating such a huge volume of money to this group is hard especially at a time when taxes on working people (yes some pensioners pay tax too) are rising in real and nomimal terms and those still working especially the younger demographic are facing having their pension ages increased and also facing the very real possibility that the state pension becomes means tested.

I am 30 so well outside of the WASPI group, but I remember the adverts. TBH I suspect even if a letter had been sent many would have at best glanced at it and many would have put it straight in the bin.

MichaelandKirk · 17/12/2024 13:52

I have to say I agree with the decision. The government dont have the money to spend and I have to be honest and say unless women were living under a rock how did they not get the information.

A couple of weeks the news were interviewing an elderly person who had just lost her late husband's pension. He had brought a single annuity. She didnt seem to understand that it was lost when he passed. She even mentioned that he took the 'higher' amount as two options had been offered but she only now knew what they really meant when her partner passed away.

Fireworkwatcher · 17/12/2024 13:51

It’s just another example for me of the government picking on people I didn’t expect them to - editing to say I didn’t vote for them but I’m still disappointed in how they are treating and appear to be going to treat the vulnerable

unsync · 17/12/2024 13:48

It's just another example of ageism by the current government. What is the point of the Ombudsman if their recommendations are not followed. Just because people knew about the changes doesn't mean they were able to take action to mitigate those changes.

Not all pensioners are rolling in money, contrary to popular opinion on here.

FuzzyPuffling · 17/12/2024 13:47

No. It's the wrong decision. It should have nothing to do with " can't afford it"- we don't say that to the victims of the PO or the blood scandals, or to gay service people.

The rise in state pension age to 66 was not communicated adequately. On top of a previous rise to 65, this made planning a financial future more than difficult.

And don't forget, these women are of an age when access to pensions was limited as were employment rights and supporting benefits.

The ombudsman recommended level 4 compensation. Older women are just an easy target to say "no".

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