Govt considering u-turn on WASPI compensation

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https://news.sky.com/story/government-to-reconsider-whether-to-give-compensation-to-waspi-women-13468696

Oh God no 😖😖😖😖

It was all over the press and the news when first announced in c. 1993. The first women to be affected were only 43 then, it continued to be widely discussed. There were leaflets, news articles, discussions on radio and tv. My friends and colleagues discussed it. It’s just not true to claim otherwise.

I had hoped I'd heard the last of this ridiculous nonsense.

When did Mumsnet get so ageist?

I fall into the category of wasps women. I don’t think money should be spent on this. I had a letter explaining my new retirement age well in advance. There are many more important priorities.

Age is literally the central pillar here so it’s impossible NOT to discuss it in terms of age

Maybe they were busy dealing with their families?

There was no social media then, people were far less informed.

I agree with this. It’s not going to happen.

So where exactly is the £10 billion coming from?

For those in favour which other services should be cut to pay for it or which taxes would they like to see increased?

Since I am a WASPI woman, vintage 1955, whose expected pension age jumped from 60 to 66, of course I would love to get a payout. Wouldn’t you? But I’m quite sure I won’t. Labour politicians were full of support for WASPI women when they were in opposition - wasn’t it in Corbyn’s manifesto in 2020 ish that he’d pay out?- but now they’re in government, their tune has changed. Quelle surprise!

I am in this age group and I am sure I did know although can't remember actually receiving a letter. I do remember it being discussed at work however as there were a few of us of about the same age and there were conversations about it. I certainly don't think I need compensating, but I understand some women have suffered financial hardship so I feel sorry for them.

Absolute madness. Labour are going to bankrupt the country at this rate. In any case it's men who got the worst deal. Shorter life expectancy and later retirement age

It's ridiculous.
My mum is the same age as the Waspi campaigners and said you would have had to have been living on mars to not know about the changes.

I was born may 1960 so it doesn't effect me. I knew about the change when it was announced.
Yet my friend born February 1960 insists it wasn't in the news.
Money is tight so I don't think this compensation should be paid.

They just want to throw money and change their minds daily about where. It’s not much of a policy.

It was all over the press and the news when first announced in c. 1993. The first women to be affected were only 43 then, it continued to be widely discussed. There were leaflets, news articles, discussions on radio and tv. My friends and colleagues discussed it. It’s just not true to claim otherwise.

This. A lot of people just really didn't want to accept and buried their heads in the sand/ignored the widespread information.

I'm absolutely FED UP of that accusations being flung around whoever we try and discuss public finances. It's lazy and inaccurate and rudely dismissive of genuine concerns.

Awful. Why should people who won't get to retire until 67-68 pay compensation to people who retired at 65 and couldn't be bothered to keep themselves informed?

The changes occurred in 1995 and 2011. Amazingly people did manage to follow the news in those days, even without social media 😂

This is being quoted because Starmer said. Financial experts have said it would be nowhere near this figure. This is happening because new evidence has come to light and the case will be coming to court will a likelihood that the Government wouldn’t have a case against it and would lose. Compensation for past injustices always cost a lot of money. The way to save that money is to ensure that things are done without injustice.

This is pensioners though. You lot carry on not giving a shit about them until you get there. Then it will be, oops “I wasn’t careful what I wished for”!

Why should you get a payout because the retirement age changed? Nobody else has. I simply don’t believe that these women never heard ANYTHING about the changes. I liken them to people who hide red envelopes before insisting they had no idea they were going into debt.

Pensioners have had everyone ‘giving a shit about them’ for decades and have basically got us into the financial mess we’re in!

That cohort didn’t have the same employment or pay for decades after they started work. Even after the Equal Pay Act, women were still paid a fraction of what men were paid for work of equal value. It was a long time before that was tidied up.

Thats not why the pension ages were originally set differently. It was because most women were 5 years or so younger than their husbands and it was intended that women typically could retire at the same age as their husbands.

Really? This doesn’t deserve a reply 🙄

My point remains valid.

There was plenty of information about this. Why are people pretending otherwise !

Paying compensation would be an egregious waste of public funds.