Leaked document now published says nearly all not to get one penny compensation – despite his finding of partial maladministration – and WASPI appears to have covered this up
For those who want to see the full document or the few doubters that this can be true – you can read the document here [ google docs] or see below.
Fresh Update: MPs on the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee have taken up this story by writing to Rob Behrens asking for an explanation of the proposed remedy that has been sent to six complainants. Read the letter in full here.
The letter from Tory MP William Wragg, the chair, reads: ” We have received reports that women affected by the changes are expected to receive minimal, if any, financial compensation…
“I would therefore be grateful if you could clarify:
- whether any decisions around financial remedies have been taken or communicated
to those affected; - whether there have been any changes in the expected timeline for the final report;
and - whether there have been any changes in who will be eligible for compensation.”
In what must be the biggest betrayal of complainants since the Ombudsman was set up by Harold Wilson in 1967 Rob Behrens has put out proposals to deprive the vast majority of 1950s born women from any compensation for the maladministration suffered by being not personally informed about the rise in the pension age from 60 to 66.
The six people who complained will get £1000 each and another 600 who complained to the Ombudsman could get the money if the Department for Work and Pensions deign to pay them which on its present record seems unlikely. For the rest there is nothing.
This proposal is a far cry from the promise made by Angela Madden, the leading figure from Waspi, who told a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference in September that payments of £10,000 to £20,000 each were a possibility for women who had missed out. See here. She has continually urged people to rely on the Ombudsman to sort this out – though recently has suggested a direct approach to the DWP to get a fair settlement because of the numbers of women dying.
A big emphasis has been highlighted by Waspi on making sensible demands and not going for full restitution – now on the basis of direct discrimination- as pushed by Backto60 and now by former judge Jocelynne Scutt, in her report.
Well this is the provisional settlement Waspi has got and it has not been worth the wait. Confidential proposals, seen by these blog, reveal this betrayal. It reads:
The Ombudsman’s proposed remedy -guaranteed £1000 offer to six people
“Our provisional view about remedy is that DWP should:
• publicly acknowledge maladministration in its communication about changes to State Pension age resulting from the 1995 Pensions Act and maladministration in its complaint handling
• publicly apologise for the impact that maladministration has had on the sample complainants and others similarly affected
* pay each sample complainant £1000 compensation for the injustice they have suffered
• establish and fund a compensation scheme to provide equivalent compensation [ie £1000] to anyone else who has suffered the same injustice as the sample complaints because of maladministration in its communication about State Pension age and its complaint handling
• provide an adequate and proportionate financial remedy to anyone who can evidence they suffered financial loss because they lost opportunities to make different decisions due to maladministration in DWP’s communication about State Pension age
• provide an adequate and proportionate financial remedy to anyone who can evidence they lost opportunities to add qualifying years to their National Insurance record because of DWP’s maladministration in not adequately using research and feedback about people’s understanding of the new State Pension to improve its service and performance.”
Now there are a barrel load of problems in this settlement. There also appears to be some level of deceit over recent pronouncements by the PHSO to Parliament and Waspi to the Daily Express and the Independent. First the proposed settlement. To get even this measly £1000 some 3.6 million 50s women have to both prove they didn’t get a letter and prove they lost opportunities to take different decision or lost out to pay in expensive sums to the DWP to build up their pension. Many of these women who were on the breadline would not have had the thousands of pounds of cash to do this.
Secondly very simply how do you prove you didn’t get a letter? The DWP has said it has no records and DWP’s so called Independent Case Examiner, Joanna Wallace, as I reported earlier -see here – has conveniently destroyed loads of letters she received complaining about this issue after being cleared of maladministration by the Parliamentary Ombudsman. It is almost as though there have been deliberate moves to make sure no evidence was available in advance of the Ombudsman’s decision.
I also found it extraordinary that the Ombudsman has put forward a remedy so quickly after being quizzed by MPs on the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee last month. At the time – see my blog here – Amanda Amroliwala, chief executive of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, was closely questioned by MPs about the 50swomen investigation and said it could take until March before the full investigation and remedy were published.
To give her the benefit of the doubt perhaps she was so taken aback by the questioning from MPs she may have speeded it up. More suspicious minds might suggest she daren’t tell them what the Ombudsman had in mind because it would create a furore. The only public announcement by the PHSO since then has been it has completed stage 2 of the investigation but still has no remedy in mind.
The other extraordinary behaviour has been by WASPI. An article in the Daily Express on Friday quotes WASPI saying this.
Angela Madden, chair of WASPI, said: “These latest findings confirm the previous conclusion of the Ombudsman that maladministration took place at the Department for Work and Pensions. “But nearly 18 months after the Ombudsman’s first report, we are still waiting for his conclusions on a remedy. This is becoming a lengthy examination of the blindingly obvious.”
Now by then people had been informed of the proposed remedy. Perhaps Angela Madden didn’t know. or perhaps she didn’t want anyone else to know because it is obviously too embarrassing for their campaign.
The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s press office said they were unable to comment was the investigation was on going.
But John McDonnell, Labour’s former shadow chancellor and a member of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, said: ” This offer is completely unacceptable. I shall be raising it immediately with the PACAC committee”. As Shadow Chancellor he had offered a £58 billion settlement over five years. I await a response from WASPI.
In the meantime Rob Behrens, the Ombudsman, according to his posts on Linked In has been literally glad handing with President Zelensky in Kiev at a special Europe wide human rights conference. Someone ought to ask him about the human rights of the 3.6 million 50s women who will now be cheated by him out of any decent settlement. The DWP must be cheering him on.
As a matter of the interest the pension age for women in Ukraine is 60 – six years below the current age in the UK. See this link.
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Westminster Confidential 
I lost 6 years of my pension.
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div>Wh
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Please alert people!
I wanted to donate but was cleverly intercepted to a fraudulent Pay pal site!
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div dir=”ltr”>I nearly fell for it but realised
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Thank you David for supporting ALL
50s women in their fight for justice.
#Discrimination #Equality #Truth
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Thanks Mo and for your donation
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I lost 6 years of pension I was told all my life that I would get my state pension at 60 it was a person at worked told me I would have to work until I was 66 which I retired last January at 66 I complained to my Mp he said it was an ongoing enquiry and could not comment I have sent email after email it is so unfair that we have had money stolen from us
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There are no words for the way people in this Country are being treated, so much corruption! Thank you all so much for everything you all do it’s so much appreciated.
Happy Christmas all and very best wishes 🌲
Lynne Andrew
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What a bombshell! I was wondering how the Ombudsman would square the circle of trying to keep the government happy by keeping compensation low while also trying to avoid alienating the 50s pensioners.
I thought they might recommend low compensation payments to all the women affected, but they have gone one step further by only making it available to women who can prove they suffered injustice as a result of the DWP maladministration.
Presumably the 50s women will now have to apply directly to the DWP to try to obtain compensation, if the DWP accept the Ombudsman’s recommendations. Doesn’t that mean they are all back to square one?
The craftiness of this decision is unbelievable. In one simple step the Ombudsman has passed all responsibility for compensation back to the DWP while seemingly maintaining his position as impartial adjudicator.
The 50s women now need to not only know that they are entitled to compensation, many won’t know, but also apply for compensation to the DWP, who take over the role of adjudicator.
There is precedent for this in the case of Guaranteed Minimum Pensions, where anyone who has been affected by the withdrawal of inflation linked increases can apply to the DWP for compensation. But most people don’t know they have been affected and it is doubtful that any who do also know they can apply for compensation.
John McDonnell may be rightfully angry about this but because of the constitutional arrangements regarding the independence of the PHSO there will be little he can do to influence the decision, other than raise the matter in Parliament.
This decision demonstrates to everyone the awful and harmful nature of the PHSO complaints process and decisions, which many people have suffered from over many years. What we need is an Ombudsman responsive to the needs of the public and properly accountable to our representatives in Parliament. Is that too much to ask for?
Thanks so much for exposing this betrayal David.
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This is absolutely disgraceful. I have worked hard all my life to receive my full pension , and weeks away from getting my figures the goal post is moved. Along with thousands of other women that have done the same, and we are just being dusted under the carpet, whilst the country throw our money at other projects the people who have worked and kept this country going so there is money in the pot are the ones to suffer, and who”s pension we have worked hard for has been stolen and used elsewhere for other things. Would we have all worked this hard to have it stolen away ? It is about time this Goverment started looking after the people in this country who have always lived here and supported all previous actions.
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How can they just pay the sample 6 when it was the ombudsman that chose the 6, is he being biased to the 6 he chose, something does not add up here.
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Not in the slightest surprised. We have been totally betrayed and treated with contempt from the start. Shameful and disgusting, this Government should be thoroughly ashamed of itself.
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Cant believe they have treated us like this. No respect at all for women, the hard working tax paying people
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I complained to the ombudsman and have still got my letter and reply letter I received my state pension this October age 66 worked since the age of 15
Couldn’t get fuel allowance either this year was born 10 days after cut off date even though I am 66 this is a disgrace
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Yes, wonder who the 6 were – the original WASPI administrators who quietly disappeared out of the picture when there was a split in WASPI? Or just the first 6 lucky ones who were at the front of the line when all the other 4,000 plus complaints that were lodged at ICE (Independent Complaints Executive) were purposely shut down? Many of those ICE complaints had been processed to the stage at which they were landing on the Ombudsman’s desk! How convenient for ICE to suddenly shut them all down! Well, they may well have been ‘destroyed’ purposely, nicely shredded or loaded into the wood burner at the DWP offices (which is kept nicely warm for the winter by burning as many complaints as possible) but every women who submitted their complaint to ICE along with their evidence – will still have a copy. Was there an infiltration plot in WASPI too maybe? Infiltration is commonplace now in anything that challenges the government. The point here is that the whole OMBUDSMAN corruption is known, it is exposed time and time again, but continues, drawing yet more unsuspecting victims into the false promise of investigating failure in government and health service departments. Just as so much else going on in the current world is exposed if peope look hard enough, the curtains are drawn back, we see who the enemy is time and time again but following the ‘standard’ ways of challenge as if ‘legislation is law’ (when actually it is not) will get nowhere with such dodgy investigative processes. It was clear from the start that the Ombudsman is not ‘independent’ – it works to the hand that feeds it (it is funded by the Government!) and will continue to work to the hand that feeds it. They themselves are accountable to no one. It is time for this challenge to go much, much further, away from the Ombudsman. Away from perhaps the path down which it was fielded – intentionally maybe or as an unfortunate choice of challenge by WASPI. Whatever the truth – this injustice and corruption is just yet another example of the corrupt systems everyone faces now (not just women, though this has been an appalling case). It is time that people started to become aware of their rights (the Bill of Rights for instance is a powerful tool that is kept well hidden, as is the Coronation Oath and the Act of Settlement). Women, like everyone, must continue to learn, to take the time to study and research and find out more about their human and constituional rights. I should think the Ombudsman has done such a wonderful job for the DWP – a knighthood is surely on the cards for the New Year.
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Just go back a few years. Patients Association calling PHSO a ‘Labyrinth of Bureaucracy”,Chris Skidmore MP, when in the Cabinet Office hailing his proposed legislation (which fortunately did not see the light of day) as a blueprint for a ‘Peoples Ombudsman’ and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, in December 2021, recommending extension of the Ombudsman’s tenure by two years until March 2024. John McDonnell was not a member of the committee at that time, but those who were, and still are, should be hanging their heads in shame.
David, you ask the question regarding how someone proves they didn’t receive a letter for DWP. Very difficult to prove a negative other than for a person to say, “If I had received a letter, I would have made a claim at the time!”.
The reality is that one only has to look at the £40 million annual budget for PHSO to see how much this intervention will save the Government in providing justice for the large number of people affected. £40 million as opposed to the £58 billion mentioned in your article as John McDonnell’s proposed settlement – bargain for the Treasury.
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All my working life I was expecting to retire at age 60. On reaching my 60th birthday, I tried to apply for a bus pass, and it was then that I discovered I would have to wait another six years before I could retire, claim my pension and bus pass. I had received no notification of the changes to State Pension Age, and this was after I’d
made NIC contributions for 51 years! Anyone who thinks that’s fair needs to give their head a wobble!
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My MP refused to put my claim to the ombudsman’s because they were only taking a sample.
Screwed again. 5years 9 months money, Waspi have a lot to answer for.
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Maybe time then to hold your MP to account. There is a great awakening going on in all areas now, MPs mustn’t hide in the shadows. The MP, then, whoever they were, obstructed the course of justice seeking. Your case would never have got anywhere, but that isn’t the point here. You were obstructed. I would be taking this up if I were you.
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You did not need your MP to put your claim in for you. We had free use of the WASPI complaint letter, from their website and we sent it in as individuals.
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Yes I put mine as did my friends individually
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This is why people are getting confused confused, because they are being told different things, some of which are incorrect , the first four stages I agree you didn’t need to involve your MP you could send complaints directly to the DWP/ ICE etc yourself but you said in your earlier comment that you didn’t have a reply from the ombudsman, if you had done the 5th stage to the ombudsman then you DID need your MP to sign it off. so this is why you haven’t been getting anything directly from the ombudsman. IF you had actually completed the stage to the ombudsman as well not just the 4 previous stages , then you would be getting responses from the PHSO and you would have your own reference number. if you got as far as the ombudsman stage then at that point you would have needed your MP to be involved. This has been explained before. You can’t blame the ombudsman for not sending you anything if you didn’t Reach that final stage.
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What an absolute shambles. So Waspi lied, the govt lied, the DWP lied, the Ombudsman lied.
Is there any one, holding a position of authority, with any integrity?
I despair.1950’s women have been shafted again. How can a country treat half of their citizen with contempt and get away with it? These are your mothers and grandmother’s. Shame on you all!
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Why oh why does none of this leak surprise me.
As a 50’s woman who has suffered this injustice for the last nine years.
I should have retired in 2013 I did retire in December 2018 due to ill health.
4 months early on universal credit until I received my state pension in April 2019. We have been cheated and lied to for the last 9 years no change there then enough is enough I give up.
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When PHSO took on this issue in 2017 it prevented any further complaints from going to DWP. Some women may be able to prove they made a valid complaint at the time, provided they had the foresight to keep their original paperwork. Many more were prevented from making a complaint, due to the Ombudsman’s intervention. The Ombudsman has once more served the state and not the people. This corrupt body should be abolished as it does nothing but raise false hope.
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PHSO like all the other institutions is utterly corrupt and incompetent. It should close down, its senior managers should return the money they have been paid by the public back to the pubic and they should be held to account funded out of their own pockets . …You can read my story of PHSO and DHCFT corruption here:
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I cannot keep up with all this , it is so unfair I am still working at 65 I have had to go part time as my mum who is has terminal cancer my husband has ill health , it is obviously illegal what the government has done , I feel betrayed , it is an obvious case of sexual discrimination , surely we have to win or are they waiting till we have all died .
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Absolutely disgusting but not surprised as he represents the Government!! As for Waspi what a betrayal glad I supported Backto60. Hope they go for Discrimination. 50’s Women will not go away and the sooner they realise this the better!!
Sent from Outlook for iOShttps://aka.ms/o0ukef ________________________________
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Not in the slightest surprised. We have been totally betrayed and treated with contempt from the start. Shameful and disgusting, this Government should be thoroughly ashamed of itself.
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They are not ashamed of themselves one bit. They will be appauding their success and feeding our money into the wrong hands.
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I am not surprised to be honest,they have played along and that’s all,non of them had any intentions of putting things right because they are corrupt to the core ,and shameful, hard hearted to do this to older people,and if they can do this to older people they would do wrong to anyone… they will all face The Lord God at the judgement seat ,he sees and knows all about their corruption and I wouldnd like to be them..that’s all I need to say on the matter,God bless David and all you ladies who have gone through this deceit, I Pray you turn to Jesus and find peace in your hearts,he is coming back very soon for his church,look it all up ❤.
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I have to agree with you, Sylvia. There is no earthly way to hold any of these corrupt individuals to account as the system is all sewn up, including the legal system. God’s judgement is all we can rely upon.
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Another excellent blog on the role of Ombudsman in assisting the Government not to compensate millions of robbed pensioners.
I thought the amount of compensation recommended would be lower than the £1,000 each to six people, but the numbers who will get anything will be shockingly low. More hoops to go through than in a big tin of spaghetti!
‘This proposal is a far cry from the promise made by Angela Madden, the leading figure from Waspi, who told a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference in September that payments of £10,000 to £20,000 each were a possibility for women who had missed out.’
Waspi has achieved peanuts for robbed pensioners whilst simultaneously providing good PR to the Ombudsman. If the leaked document is correct, the Establishment might view this outcome as the crowning glory of Rob Behrens’ tenure.
The Ombudsman may have estimated how few will (i) pursue and (ii) get compensation – low thousands at the upper end?
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David. Please stop putting these lies about. I have every respect for you as a journalist and when I saw you at a rally you seemed a really nice guy. But today I have received the Ombudsman report. It says ALL women will be offered £1,000 not just 6 as you say here. Although it is a slap in face to be given so little the truth is it is offered to us all. I think you need to check where (who?) you’re getting you’re info from?
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From the document prepared by the Ombudsman The section is reproduced in full in the blog Read it it is the proposal no full final Ombudsman Report has been produced
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David. Unfortunately I’m unable to upload the photograph I have taken of the significant wording in the report in regards to who will be eligible for the measly £1,000. But I’m happy to send it to you with the significant parts marked out for your attention. It says clearly they have taken a sample group of 6 as they couldn’t manage to investigate all claims. But their decision Is based on this sample and would be awarded to “any others affected by the maladministration”. (Ref: page 1, section 4.)
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That is from the stage 2 report which specifically does not mention any sum for a remedy The document that I have seen post dates this and details not only the sum but the terms for who could qualify which are quite challenging I have already published the second stage document on my website
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Thank you all so much for everything you do 🙏. Very best wishes Lynne Andrew
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Look carefully. It is worded with the usual trickery and will be an almighty challenge for most of those who decide to press on with their claim and their evidence. There is no final document.
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I have never received an update from the Ombudsman / PHSO about my complaint, nor any update, nor been asked for any feedback. I sent in all 4 legal template letters. You did not need to be a member of WASPI to send the letters, as they were free to download off the WASPI website and send off as an individual.
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David, please stop putting out these lies. I have great respect for you as a journalist, and from what I saw of you at a rally some years ago you’re a really nice and decent person. But today I received my report on stage 2 from the ombudsman. In that report it recommends we ALL be awarded £1,000, that some may get more if they can show particular hardship. I’m not happy with this outcome, and I won’t accept it. It’s unfair when each one of us has lost around £53,000 in pension and have ALL suffered great hardship. However, it states clearly ALL women Should be given the £1,000 not 6 as you state in your article. I have no idea why you are saying WASPI have sold out (also ‘which’ WASPI are you referring to ?) . As a WASPI regional co ord that’s the first I’ve heard! I think you need to seriously look at where you’re getting such information from, and, at least disclose who the informant is and the evidence for this claim.
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I was amused by Pensionlesswoman calling on David to name his source when she writes anonymously using a pen name
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I owe you an apology David. I read the report in a foggy head day and allowed my emotions to lead me. I hope however you’ve stopped blaming WASPI as it’s clear it is the govt, DWP, and the Ombudsman who have let us down.
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Yes I did think it unfair to suggest I was lying that’s why I have decided to update the blog and publish the full document so people could read it for themselves. What I don’t understand is that given what the Ombudsman are doing why aren’t WASPI shouting from the rooftops that this is a stitch up. Apologies accept. By the way journalists should never reveal their sources, It is part of our code of conduct unless the source wants to be knbown.
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The corruption in PHSO is well known. Why did WASPI when they were warned take this route? One big question!
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I can’t say I’m at all surprised.
We should also remember that there has been a Labour government during the time the maladministrations occurred and it’s easy for them to say they would pay up if they don’t have to put the money where their mouth is.
We probably shouldn’t get our hopes up if there is a change of government, it will still be run by the ‘same’ people (mainly men) as before.
I, for one, have given up any hope of compensation for the robbery, like you say “how can you prove you haven’t had something?” ridiculous.
Thank you for trying so hard and for keeping us informed.
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Absolutely agree Jenny, i have never for one minute thought we would get any form of compensation whatsoever. Well and truly stitched up and shafted by a lying bunch of hypocrites. Our stolen money is being dished out to everyone apart from us . Those responsible are parasites.
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I was born early 1960 I served my country was awarded GSM 1962 AND LS&GC. I HAVE lost 6 years of state pension, which in present figures as a guide £48,000 plus change. I became retired early due to ill health. Since 2007 been surviving on my Army pension. Many times this has been frozen and bills have been rising. I have no respect for any government until they shift their focus outward towards the people who keep them in jobs, they won’t have the goal posts moved on them!!!!!
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I think it’s totally disgusting the way all of us 50s women are being treated. It’s our money that we were supposed to have had and they just wipe us under the carpet it’s all totally corrupted. Not happy
Carol
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There are no words to discibe how badly the 50’s women have bee treated. This government gives money away hand over fist to oversea countries, migrants and many other people that haven’t paid a penny into the system. But, the hardworking women who have paid their full dues get nothing. This is a total disgrace!!!
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My sister was 60 getting her pension I was 64 , 2 months and 19 days old before I got mine, with little warning!
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I have some questions (rhetorical?).
The six sample complainants should each get £1,000 compensation.
This is a tiny amount compared to the losses incurred, but in terms of PHSO recommendations, £1,000 is a lot.
The chances of randomly selecting six PHSO complainants who were each recommended to receive £1,000 are smaller than getting two Royal Flushes in poker at one sitting.
Were the six complainants selected because they sure-fire winners? If so, what clinched it for them?
Would the inclusion of sample complainants who complaints were dismissed have made clear to many potential complainants that they stand little chance of getting even £1,000?
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Read the summary letter carefully and all is revealed.
The 6 have been awarded £1000 each simply because of the injustice of the maladministration – ie letters should have been sent at least 28 months earlier.
None of the 6 have been able to provide enough evidence that the maladministration led to a financial loss or a lost opportunity. This is why they haven’t been awarded a higher figure.
The 6 were chosen as they represented the full range of issues being complained about. However the PHSO has acknowledged that their circumstances cannot possibly represent all 3.6m women. This is where the recommendation that the DWP sets up a find to adequately compensate (ie a higher amount than the £1k)those with evidence of a financial loss or lost opportunity. This is where the proof must be provided whereas no proof has been asked for with the £1k recommendation as that’s for the already proven maladministration.
The other 76 pages or so which David hasn’t included come from the updated Stage 2 report which has now been finalised. If you read the summary letter it explains that the final Stage 2 report contains more information about the claimants and what they would have done with more notice etc. This finalised report really needs to be read in conjunction with the summary letter as it explains the decisions of the PHSO.
Basically the PHSO is saying that all 50s’ women should receive £1k – as you say quite a high award for the PHSO – for the injustice of the already proven maladministration.
For anyone who can prove a financial loss or lost opportunity because of the maladministration they could get more. This would be much more unlikely to happen as most complaints have actually been about the effects of the legislation and not the effects of the maladministration. However some may have such proof.
In my opinion the DWP will be writing back to the PHSO saying they strongly disagree with the recommendations and will not be setting up any fund and inviting further complaints. They may simply pay the £1k to the 6 test complainants or they may even say they won’t do that either as it’s too high an amount. That would be a first though as they have paid out up till now.
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Thanks for your informative explanation. Yes, PHSO may well write back saying they disagree with paying compensation of £1,000 X 3.6m = £3,600,000,000 (less those who have died) to all pensioners known to have been robbed.
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Severity level 4 – £1,000 – £2,950
‘A case at level four will involve the person affected experiencing a significant and/or lasting impact, so much so that to some extent it has affected their ability to live a relatively normal life. In these cases, the injustice will go beyond distress or inconvenience, except where this has been for a very prolonged period of time.’
Service Model Policy and Guidance: main guidance Version 19.0 (p183)
Click to access Service_Model_Main_Guidance_19.0.pdf
In 2021/22, the Ombudsman recommended only two Level 4 compensation awards for parliamentary complaints:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/889879/response/2118492/attach/3/FOI%2000000286.pdf?cookie_passthrough=1
If the DWP refuses to pay, Rob Behrens, who plans to leave office in 2024, may be gone before the matter comes to a head. Perhaps the new Ombudsman may agree with the DWP that the amount of £1,000 is excessive and that each victim must demonstrate ‘a significant and/or lasting impact’ to get it.
So many unknowns, but I’m fairly certain that millions of pensioners will be billions out of pocket with the outcome.
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Every woman born from end 1953 to end 1959 has suffered the financial loss of 5 to 6 years of payment of state pension, so that is proven by default.
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The fly in the ointment is the arbitrary time span for identified maladministration. PHSO have determined that letters should have been sent out by December 2006 but were not sent until April 2009, which was the start of the DWP mail shot. (In batches) From these dates they determine that there was a 28 month delay which is maladministration. It is not clear why the time from 1995 to 2006 is discounted. Does anyone know the reasoning here? With only 28 months time delay it is virtually impossible to say you have suffered financial loss as pension savings require long-term planning and decisions well ahead of final pension day. You can’t make a lot of difference to your final pension with two years notice.
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I am not surprised at how things have turned out. I expect the DWP will hang on for as long as possible hoping we will go away by dying.
To summarise, 3.6 women such as yrs truly had the date their pensions could be claimed, moved back to age 66 when they were expecting it to be 60.
David Henke says: 9.8m men were provided with 5 years free National Insurance Contributions to retire 5 years early, aged 60.
Outrageous.
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I meant ‘greater’ not ‘smaller’!
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Dear David Hencke, I’ve already written to my MP about this from an article I read in the Financial Times, but without all this extra detail.
I never received acknowledgement from the PHSO after sending in all
4 WASPI letters (with so many of us not WASPI members so not getting updated by government individually) to ICE.
The government cannot just pay £1000 to 6 plus 600 and not to all 3.8m 1950s born ladies, as strangely an extra complaint has crept in, against the rise in National Insurance history from 30 to 35 years from 2014 pension act, that introduced the flat rate state pension from April 2016.
I’m born 1954 (amongst first victims) and new pension age became 2019, so most of us were victims of the flat rate’s rise from 30 to 35 years for full state pension, but even that is flawed, as most women will never get the full flat rate, as majority of ladies were opted out of state 2nd pension (another ‘maladministration’ as never told of its existence nor needed our consent to be contracted out), so we are getting any number of different amounts of reduced money to each lady, even with 35 years NI history or even the maximum 50 year NI contribution history.
The only way to get £35,000 compensation to 1950s ladies, is to seek moral support / voter intent for creation of our new Over 50s party, that could win easy against Tory, Labour and Lib Dems (all bastards to us from 1978 onwards, including the loss of state 2nd pension) as us female Grey Vote are both the majority of voters who turn out sufficiently and over 90 per cent registered to vote, whereas the young below age 40 have fully a quarter not registered to vote at all, and rest hardly bother to vote for any and all parties in elections.
Will you help me by doing an article on your blog, Mr David Hencke, please?
www dot over50sparty dot org dot uk
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Chris I see you stated you have not received a reply from the PHSO, “even though you
Say you did all 4 letters.” There were 4 stages up to and including ice only the next stage was a 5th letter to the PHSO at which point you needed to send your letter via your MP. If you didn’t do that then that’s why you didn’t get a copy of stage 2 provisional report or any other responses from the PHSO . I hope that helps . You have asked this before and been given an explanation in one of the fb groups
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Bindmans LLP & PHSO 2018 ‘Full Restitution’ Agreement for #50sWomen was referred to in evidence provided to CEDAWinLAW People’s Tribunal 2022
By its own admissions, WaSpi has failed to challenge the PHSO on identified omissions due to time constraints.
The Judge’s Report out of the above Tribunal finds Direct Discrimination.
Parliamentary Will via EDMs 2296, 906 and 430 underpins the said finding and foolproof routes to Full Restitution.
The Govt and Opposition admitted to the injustices and made mandatory undertakings to meet the Debt of Honour – and in Law.
This monumental injustice against #50sWomen alone illuminates the shameless who can be assured of their place in history as this story echos in eternity.
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I’m now 68, so have had my SP for two years now, I had to stop working at 63 due to ILL health and I’ve been on medication since. As I hadn’t received my SP until I reached 66 I used up the savings I had to compensate the state benefit I was awarded (ESA) while I couldn’t work. If I’d have had my state pension at 60 which I already had enough credits to receive I wouldn’t have been in the position I was and wouldn’t have needed to use up my savings. We are not all comfortably off some of us have faced real hardship and this news is yet another smack in the face!
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Totally agree with you Shan. I had to work every week since my 60th birthday until February 2022, when I was 67, because I couldn’t claim my SP when it was rightfully due. At the age of 60 all that was open to me were low paid, part-time work, so I worked 3 jobs. Left in that position by a husband who traded me in for a younger model. Had I received my pension when it was due, there wouldn’t have been much room for luxuries but I wouldn’t have had to slog my guts out just to survive and more than likely shorten my life!
This is a total disgrace and I feel somewhat betrayed by the Waspi women who told us to write our letters and leave the rest to them!
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Karma will prevail obnoxious Tory out at next election karma
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Karma must then hit Tory, Labour and Lib Dems alike, as all rose the pension age on women born in the 1950s from 60 to 66.
Labour and Lib Dems rose pension age to men and women to 66, 67 and 68.
Tory, Labour and Lib Dems alike rose early works pension age from 50 to 55 in 2010, hitting us 1950s born first.
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The ombudsman is definitely not INDEPENDENT they have proven this conclusively.
I’m absolutely disgusted with Government.
Yes we still have copy’s of our ice complaint so it matters not that they destroyed theirs at governmental level.
I don’t know where to go from here as it seems everyone who was supposed to bd helping is corrupt
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The ombudsman / PHSO is not independent as directly employed by this Tory government. We’ve always known that.
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Beyond getting £1,000 compensation maybe (?), the next campaign for us 1950s, 1960s and 1970s ladies is to help Admin Grey Swans’ campaign for creation of our new Over 50s party (policies from babe to gran inclusive) by your moral support (by saying SUPPORT in reply to this comment please) that would in government by your kind votes (we are the majority of all voters by age group and gender) at next general election (sometime between 2023 and early 2025) –
– £35,000 compensation, tax free to 1950s ladies
– Tapered compensation to 1960s ladies
– Pension age 60 for 1960s ladies onwards
(men too but they don’t care about pension age)
– Age 50 Early works pension age back, for 1970s born
– Age 50 full works pension for manual workers – 1970s born
– £448.12 per week state pension for all retired men and women in UK state pension system, paid tax free
– Funded by ending the biggest tax break for the rich in worker National Insurance of the maximum salary threshold above which practically pay no NI.
And so much more, that ends the discrimination against women in National Insurance and state pension schemes.
www dot over50sparty dot org dot uk
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Stage 3 provisional views and remedy apparently contains 11 pages and not just the 4 pages that appear here. Also enclosed is the Stage 2 finalised document which is 55 pages long.
In the interests of full transparency David why not publish the whole thing instead of selectively cutting and pasting less than 4 pages and saying it’s the whole document? What are we not being told?
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If on Christmas Eve you think I have missed something you are free to send it to me .As for the 55 page second stage I published it in draft and it has not changed much. I am curious that you wish to remain anonymous and you have an impersonal email address calling yourself 50swoman. Must be difficult for your friends to contact you if they don’t know your name.Not very transparent is it?
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Bots infiltrated
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Not a bot Margaret but a 50s’ woman who is totally fed up with all this secrecy and hidden agendas that seem to be more important to some. We’re being taken for fools.
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Dear Disgruntled
As you prefer to be anonymous but appear to be fully informed in these matters, then why not publish all the details you speak about?
That way, the transparency wish is fulfilled and you remain anonymous.
Are you one of The Six or the WaSPI hundreds who complained? Are you close to the WaSPI Board? If so, please alert them to the livestream broadcast invitation to discuss these matters, in the interests of transparency which you seek.
What is there to hide?
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Dear Joanne.
I have nothing to do with Waspi and certainly do not wish to be involved in this fight you’re having with them.
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Dear Disgruntled
You involved yourself with the fight – as you called it – and I suggest you are playing games in order to agitate whilst appearing like a victim. Do tell?
The ‘reply’ button on your last comment is curiously invisible – hence, I have replied here.
Count here blessings.
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I re-read PHSO Complainant’s insightful post above and the New Year will bring no cheer to robbed pensioners.
Possible outcome:
1. The DWP reject the Ombudsman’s proposal to set up a fund to pay minimum compensation for maladministration totalling £3,500,000,000 (less eligible pensioners who have died).
2. Complainants exhaust the DWP complaints system and contact the PHSO.
3. The PHSO tells them it dealt with six sample complaints and made its recommendations.
4. Complainants must then take expensive legal action against the DWP to seek redress.
5. DWP legal services slaughter the small number of complainants who go down the legal route.
5. Ombudsman (new) bemoans their lack of powers.
6. Government stresses independence of Ombudsman.
7. Robbed pensioners lose billions.
Has anyone got a credible positive alternative?
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Spot on Jeff.
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