CAMPAIGNERS calling for justice for women born in the 1950s who were affected by changes to the pension age are hoping there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The 1995 Pensions Act changed the law so that women would no longer be able to claim their state pension at 60.

The WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign fights for justice for all women born in the 1950s affected by the changes to the State Pension Age. WASPI said they are not against equalisation, but they do not accept the way the changes to the state pension age were implemented.

And now an investigation has said the Department Work and Pensions failed to act quickly enough for some women who were not aware of the state pension age change.

Newport East MP, Jessica Morden has spoken in parliament and attended a number of events in support of the women affected by the changes to the state pension age.

She told the Argus: "I know the state pension age has had a huge impact on the lives of women in Newport East and I’ll continue to press for the Government to act to right this wrong - as Labour did in the last general election with its pledge of support."

Nick Smith, Blaenau Gwent MP, said: "I am proud to stand alongside the more than 4,000 WASPI women in Blaenau Gwent.

"In 2017, after holding a series of events to speak with women affected in Blaenau Gwent, I took a petition to Parliament on their behalf.

"As I said at the time, the stories I had heard were pointed, powerful and painful.
These are women who worked hard for decades in jobs that were often physically demanding and who had made decisions about their future with the expectation that the state pension would be there for them.

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He said for these women to be blindsided by changes that tore-up these plans, remains entirely unacceptable.

"These women were left with a choice of financial uncertainty or continuing to work past the point they had intended. Many have experienced significant financial loss and many have struggled with their mental health and well-being as a result.

"While I welcome the recent Ombudsman ruling, it does not change anything."

Mr Smith has written to the secretary of state for work and pensions Thérèse Coffey to ask for the Government to issue a full apology to the women affected by this issue and outlined the department's plans to put things right.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on July 20 found failings in the way the Department for Work and Pensions communicatedc hanges to women’s State Pension age.

The Ombudsman received a significant number of complaints about the way this was communicated by DWP. Many women said that they were not aware of the changes, and experienced significant financial loss and emotional distress as a result.

PHSO has found that from 2005 onwards, there were failings in the action taken by DWP to communicate the State Pension age.

Amanda Amroliwala, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman CEO, said: "After a detailed investigation, we have found that Department for Work and Pensions failed to act quickly enough once it knew a significant proportion of women were not aware of changes to their State Pension age. It should have written to the women affected at least 28 months earlier than it did.

"We will now consider the impact of these failings, and what action should be taken to address them."

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