The issue of compensation for women affected by the changes to the State Pension age, often referred to as WASPI women, remains unresolved.
There is no confirmed compensation scheme, no agreement on a payment amount, and no scheduled payment date.
However, there has been a significant and recent development in November 2025.
The government has announced that it will reconsider its previous decision to deny compensation, following the emergence of new evidence related to the Department for Work and Pensions (or DWP) communication failures.
What is the current status of WASPI compensation?
The current status, as of November 2025, is a period of reconsideration by the government following a damning report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, or PHSO.
- No Compensation Agreed: No financial compensation has been agreed upon or legislated for by Parliament. Therefore, there are no official forms to fill out, and no payments are being issued.
- Government Reconsideration: In November 2025, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions informed the House of Commons that the government would re-examine its previous decision to reject compensation. This came after new evidence was presented to ministers.
- No Guarantee of Payment: The Secretary of State cautioned that this reconsideration does not guarantee that ministers will ultimately award financial redress to the women affected. The work to review the evidence began immediately.
What did the Ombudsman recommend?
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, after a five-year investigation, issued its final report on the matter in March 2024.
The findings were critical of the DWP’s handling of the State Pension age changes for women born in the 1950s.
- Maladministration Finding: The PHSO found the DWP was guilty of maladministration due to its failure to adequately inform women that the State Pension age had changed. This poor communication meant some women lost opportunities to make informed financial decisions about their retirement.
- Compensation Recommendation: The Ombudsman recommended that the affected women receive financial compensation. The suggested payment level was up to £2,950 each, which would amount to a potential total cost to the taxpayer of approximately £10.5 billion.
- Parliamentary Action: The PHSO stated that Parliament must urgently identify a mechanism for providing the appropriate remedy.
Why was compensation previously rejected?
In December 2024, the government rejected the Ombudsman’s recommendation to implement a blanket compensation scheme.
- Acceptance of Maladministration: The DWP did accept the PHSO’s finding of maladministration, specifically an apology for a 28-month delay in writing to some 1950s-born women.
- Justification for Rejection: The previous government argued that the majority of women knew the State Pension age was increasing, and that a scheme to compensate everyone would be neither fair nor feasible due to the high costs and the difficulty of assessing individual financial loss.
The current reconsideration of this refusal is due to the emergence of a 2007 DWP evaluation document not presented to the former Work and Pensions Secretary when the previous decision was made.
Who is the WASPI campaign group?
WASPI, which stands for Women Against State Pension Inequality, is a campaign group set up in 2015.
- The Claim: The group claims that women born in the 1950s were unfairly penalised due to the rapid and steep increases in the State Pension age, which they claim happened without adequate personal notice, leaving them with insufficient time to adjust their financial plans.
- Current Action: The WASPI campaign has welcomed the government’s decision to reconsider compensation, calling it a major step forward, but continues to lobby Parliament for a fair and fast resolution.
How to avoid fraud
Because the WASPI compensation issue has received high-profile media coverage, it has become a major target for fraudsters. Be extremely cautious.
- No Official Forms: There are no official forms or websites currently available for women to apply for compensation.
- Do Not Pay Fees: Do not pay any money to claims management companies or individuals who offer to help you submit a claim or fast-track your payment.
- Official Warning: The WASPI campaign itself issues frequent warnings to members to ignore posts on social media and emails that offer to help them claim compensation, stating these are scam operations.
Until the government announces a definitive decision and a formal process, any communication asking for money or bank details is a scam.
