WASPI dinner lady forced to keep working despite major illness | Personal Finance | Finance

The WASPI campaign (Women Against State Pension Inequality) has shared a moving story of a woman impacted by the WASPI issue. WASPI is one of several campaign groups who represent the 1950s-born generation of women impacted when the state pension age for women was increased from 60 to 65 and then 66.

The campaigners argue that among these millions of women, many did not know of the change right up until the last minute, and that the DWP should have done more to tell them of the change ahead of time.

They say that many women saw their retirement plans ruined as they suddenly had to revisit their finances when they found out.

Some were forced to continue working for several more years more than they thought they would have to. The WASPI campaign has shared one such story.

In a post on social media, the group said they had been called up by a man whose wife was born in 1955, and whose state pension age turned out to be 67, while she previously thought it would be 60.

The WASPI campaign said the husband had called them up seeking help as “he didn’t know who else to contact”.

The post said: “His wife was a school dinner lady, and she like the women she worked with had no notice that their state pension age was increasing. She developed a life changing illness, but continued to work, albeit part time until she was 67.”

The husband had some questions about the WASPI issue which the campaign group was able to answer. But this was after he’d apparently had a frustrating time trying to get in touch with the Government about the issue.

WASPI said: “He doesn’t get any reply from his MP. He has tried to speak to the DWP until the waiting time, and being cut off led him to despair.

“There is no Citizen’s Advice where he lives because it used to have an office, and then moved to the doctor’s surgery, and now it’s just online. They don’t use the internet, and don’t have email – they can’t get used to it.”

The campaigners have fought for over a decade to try and get compensation from the DWP given their experience. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman previously investigated the matter.

Compensation up to £2,950

The watchdog found there was ‘maladminstration’ as the DWP should have sent out letters to the women sooner. Compensation recommendations were also set out by the Ombudsman, saying the women should be paid between £1,000 and £2,950.

But when the current Labour Government finally issued a decision on the issue in December 2024, it said there would be no compensation. Ministers made the case that most of the women did know the state pension age would be going up, and that writing to the women sooner would have made little difference.

Despite this setback, WASPI refused to throw in the towel, applying for a judicial review of the DWP’s decision. This was set to take place in December 2025, but the DWP announced at the last minute it would retract its previous decision and retake it, as there was new evidence to consider.

This new decision is set to be published by early March. WASPI is now calling on its supporters to write to their MPs to urge them to finally deliver compensation.

Justice delayed is justice denied

Reflecting on the WASPI story shared in the social media post, the WASPI campaign said: “Talking to him made me realise why we’re doing this. This injustice that has affected 3.6 million women must be compensated – for his wife, the woman who dished out the fish fingers and mash for our children, and noticed the shy and the vulnerable ones, and the ones that were hungry.

“And also, for all of us. Justice delayed is justice denied. Please email your MP using our template letter if it’s the only thing you can do. Do it for the people who can’t do it for themselves. And help anyone you know who will struggle to do it for themselves.”

The DWP has been approached for a comment.

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