Revealed: The story behind Waspi and what you can do if your retirement income is affected

Founded back in 2015, the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) movement was established to lobby the government for compensation over State Pension changes introduced in 1995.

These changes, designed to bring men’s and women’s State Pension Ages in line with each other, significantly impacted women born in the 1950s.

In fact, the BBC reports about 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were adversely impacted by the decision. And of these, 2.6 million were affected by a later decision to bring the State Pension Age forward even faster.

The “Waspi women”, as they’ve become known, are not trying to reverse the decision or lower the State Pension Age back down.

But they are asking for compensation over a lack of timely communication about the plans and how these could affect them, which they argue led many into financial hardship.

Here’s more about the story of Waspi, and what you can do if you think your retirement income has been affected.

The Waspi movement is seeking compensation for a lack of communication about State Pension changes

When the Basic State Pension was introduced in 1948, men who had made sufficient National Insurance (NI) payments qualified to receive their pension aged 65, while women in the same position were eligible aged 60.

However, in 1995, the government set out a new timetable to gradually increase the qualifying age for women and bring it in line with men. This was initially intended to happen in the decade between 2010 and 2020.

However, this time frame was then accelerated in 2011 by the coalition Conservative-Liberal Democrat government, with 2018 marking the new date by which the pension ages would become equitable.

The Waspi women have argued that they’ve been forced to continue working past their expected retirement age, or live on a much-reduced income than they’d planned for in retirement.

According to the Guardian, some discovered the changes to the State Pension Age only after they’d already retired. As such, they felt they weren’t given enough time to make alternative financial arrangements.

Indeed, it wasn’t until 2009 to 2013 that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) wrote to women impacted by the changes, 14 years after the initial 1995 law was passed.

Waspi has been lobbying successive governments to be compensated for a lack of adequate and timely communications about these changes.

A recent review found failings, but the government has ruled out compensation payments

A 2024 review by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) – which independently investigates complaints about UK government departments – found that the DWP “failed to provide the public with as full information as possible”.

It also found evidence of “maladministration” and that “affected women should have had at least 28 months’ more individual notice of the changes”.

Although the current government has accepted and apologised for the delay in communications, it has also indicated it won’t be paying compensation to the Waspi women.

The Guardian has reported that fake sites have been set up promising to offer compensation to those affected, in some cases asking for personal details such as birth certificates and bank details.

It’s important to note that none of these sites can offer compensation as the government has ruled it out, so ignore anything claiming to be able to offer payouts. If their position changes, it would be the government who administers the compensation scheme.

The Waspi movement is planning to challenge the government’s latest decision and is hoping to bring their case to the High Court for a judicial review.

If you think your retirement income has been affected, there are steps you can take

If pension changes have negatively impacted your retirement income, there are some steps you can take.

First, it’s important to fully understand what you might qualify for and when.

• • The current State Pension Age is 66, rising to 67 between 2026 and 2028, and again to 68 between 2044 and 2046.
  • The amount you receive depends on when you were born and the number of “qualifying years” of National Insurance contributions (NICs) you have.
  • The weekly amount for 2025/26 is £230.25 for those reaching State Pension Age after 2016.
  • For those reaching State Pension Age before 2016, the weekly amount for 2025/26 is £176.45.
  • You’ll need at least 10 qualifying years of contributions to receive anything, and usually around 35 years for the full State Pension, although this can vary.

Then you can look at your options. If you’re missing any years, due to a career break, time spent abroad, low income or any other reason, it could be worth looking at “buying back” some of your NI years.

You can purchase up to six years retrospectively. According to MoneySavingExpert, for some people this can equate to £50,000 in extra State Pension income over the course of your retirement.

However, one caveat is that if you qualify for Pension Credit, topping up may take you over the threshold for claiming, so it might not be your best option in this case.

Your State Pension offers a guaranteed income, making it a key part of your retirement planning

Even if you have other pensions or sources of income in retirement, your State Pension gives you a strong foundation with a fixed weekly amount.

The government’s commitment to the “triple lock” system offers a reassuring layer of security. This means that each April your State Pension will increase by the highest of:

• • Average wage increases for May to June of the previous year
  • UK inflation from the previous September, measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI)
  • 2.5%

Understanding when you are eligible for your State Pension and how much you might get is the first place to start in your planning.

You can then work with your financial planner to discuss any other pensions and investments to build a realistic retirement strategy based on your goals.

Get in touch

If you’d like to talk to us about getting the best from your pension, email us at info@harperlees.co.uk or call 01277 350560 to find out more, and we’ll be very happy to help.

Please note

This article is for general information only and does not constitute advice. The information is aimed at retail clients only.

All information is correct at the time of writing and is subject to change in the future.

Please do not act based on anything you might read in this article. All contents are based on our understanding of HMRC legislation, which is subject to change.

A pension is a long-term investment not normally accessible until 55 (57 from April 2028). The fund value may fluctuate and can go down, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances. Thresholds, percentage rates, and tax legislation may change in subsequent Finance Acts.