The Ombudsman previously said the WASPI women should get up to £3,000 compensation
A legal expert says the DWP made ‘textbook’ errors in its handling of the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) issue. WASPI is one of several campaign groups who represent the 1950s-born generation of women who were affected by the state pension age for women increasing from 60 to 65 and then 66.
It claims the DWP failed to provide adequate notice of the change, with many of the women unaware of the change right up to the last minute. A previous investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found that there was ‘maladministration’ in the DWP’s efforts to communicate the change.
The watchdog said the DWP should have sent a letter to the women sooner, and recommended compensation ranging from £1,000 to £2,950. Michael McCready, founder of injury lawyers group McCreadyLaw, said the controversy is a classic case of poor communication by a public body.
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A process failure
He said: “The WASPI situation is a textbook example of what happens when policy changes get ahead of communication. The Government raised the pension age for women, which is a big deal for anyone planning retirement, and then didn’t do enough to tell them directly.
“That’s not just a misstep—that’s a process failure. In today’s world, where digital tools and data targeting are everywhere, it’s hard to believe that the DWP couldn’t have done a better job getting the word out.” Despite the findings from the Ombudsman, the DWP announced at the end of last year it would not provide compensation.
Labour made the case that most women did know of the change, and that sending out letters sooner would have made little difference. WASPI then applied for a judicial review of this decision, which is set to take place on December 9 and 10.
However, the DWP announced this week it is retracting its decision not to compensate, in light of fresh evidence that has emerged, and that it will issue another decision on the matter.
Mr McCready said that the Government has a duty to inform people of changes to its policies, such as the state pension age. He said: “I understand the argument that people are responsible for knowing the rules that affect them.
“But most people aren’t tracking Government policy announcements in their spare time. If you change something as significant as the state pension age, and don’t make a serious effort to communicate it directly to those impacted, you can’t turn around and blame them for not knowing. That’s not how accountability works.”
The state pension age is now 66 for both men and women, and is increasing to 67 between April 2026 and April 2028. It will go up again to 68 between 2044 and 2046, although there have been discussions about bringing forward this timetable.
Mr McCready said the WASPI issue is an opportunity for public agencies such as the DWP to improve how they operate. He said: “The Government has tools today—AI, analytics, digital outreach—that could help avoid this kind of breakdown in the future.
“If this review leads to better systems and clearer responsibilities, then something good might still come out of a bad situation. That’s where real progress begins.”
