Entire DWP submission to Ombudsman on women’s right to pension compensation leaked to this blog
All 3.5 million 50s born women including the six “test case” complainants should get no compensation because there has been no maladministration and no evidence of financial loss, the DWP has told Rob Behrens, the Parliamentary Ombudsman. Even if there were maladministration the submission says his report does not show “there was injustice as a consequence of that maladministration.”
Their 118 paragraph submission rejects his entire draft report and his modest proposal of £1000 compensation for the six test cases, which the department says is, anyway, too high.
The coruscating response to the Ombudsman in a document marked ” official sensitive” is highly critical of his findings, the campaign to get compensation by WASPI, and makes the extraordinary suggestion that many of the claims by women could turn out to be fraudulent.
The attitude of the officials to the claim explains the real reason why Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, is against mediation as he is obviously being advised that the ministry has no case to answer and why the Ombudsman, who must be embarrassed by the language in the submission, has turned to Parliament as a last resort.
The findings must be a major blow to Angela Madden, the organiser for WASPI, who only last year claimed at the Labour Party Conference that the women would get £10,000 to £20,000 compensation from the ministry.
Much of the submission is devoted to the Ombudsman’s proposal that all the women who have similar circumstances must get similar compensation and fund set up to deal with the wider question of compensation for financial loss. This means that the department would have to examine each case in detail which , according to the paper , would mean employing 5,500 extra staff, and take away people from other work like paying people’s pensions on their retirement and awarding pension credit.
The submission says: “DWP would not have information on all 1950s-born women and we would have to source their information – for example, through HMRC. We would also need bank details in order to make an automated payment and these would be obtained through outreach and/or some way for citizens to provide their details. Such a scenario would take significant setting-up and would have wide ranging impacts on DWP’s other critical business, with likely costs of the digital aspects.” It says this would take 18 months to set up.
It is the fraud claim over financial losses that is most extraordinary.
The submission says: “We are concerned that the Ombudsman’s proposed recommendations would generate a major fraud risk and be hugely and disproportionately burdensome to implement.”
“… we expect that the existence of a scheme would result in many claimants endeavouring to provide such evidence. The Department would then have to try out many extensive and expensive investigations to decide whether the evidence was sufficient to prove financial loss. We expect that claimants will be
encouraged to make claims for financial loss and that template letters will be circulated to support such claims. The cost of living crisis may also drive increased volumes of claims.
“This seems to be an entirely unnecessary expense for the taxpayer given that the Ombudsman has found no sufficient evidence on the 6 sample cases, we found no sufficient evidence on the 10,000 cases, and we cannot see how sufficient evidence could be available.”
The submission does not even accept that that there was anything wrong with the ministry’s communication to 50swomen. The Ombudsman makes another modest proposal that officials report to him and the chairs of the work and pensions and public administration select committtees, Stephen Timms and William Wragg on what they have done six months after his report is published.
“”You have recommended that within 6 months of your final report we explain to you and the chairs of the WPSC and PACAC what we have done since these events happened or what we plan to do.
….”we do not agree to report to you and the chairs of the 2 committees within 6 months of your final report being published. Also, your findings relate to historic events. We are not clear on the benefit of
considering these events with the advantage of hindsight.”
I am not surprised this confidential submission was labelled ” sensitive”. It shows up the arrogant way officials behave towards 3.5 million elderly women, their disdain for remarkably modest proposals from the Ombudsman, dislike of organisations like Waspi for organising ” template letters” and a level of complacency they have in their administration of this vexed and prolonged process of raising the pension age. Their official attitude is little better than Boris Johnson’s quip during the Covid pandemic “let the elderly die”.
I have not bothered to either inform or contact the Ombudsman’s Office or the DWP on this leaked report as the Ombudsman is bound by law from commenting during an investigation and the DWP never comment on leaked documents.
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3.5 million women labelled as potential criminals
The Government gave its formal response on 14th June 2023 to the scrutiny of the Ombudsman carried out by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. The response, buried in the Annex to the report states:
“Whilst the effective operation of the ombudsman system is an important matter, the Government is not convinced that fundamental reform is a priority at the current time, nor that legislation is the answer to many of the identified issues”.
Now we know why!
David
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The UK Government do don’t bat an eyelid in paying NOR searching fake claims I’m Covid for businesses……why is it so much more risky to pay women who are owed it? It’s OUR money! Well done yet again David for pointing out the continuing saga of misogyny…..in C21 UK.
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Yet more evidence of Tory Corruption!🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
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3.5 million women being paid what they have been robbed of Fraudulent!! what about the men being paid their stamps from the age of 60 so they could retire early without any loss to their pensions at 65. the Women never got that.. and we have paid in all our working lives 50 yrs for me. so how can it be Fraudulent when it’s your own money you would be getting back. it’s the Government that are frauds not the 50s women. 🤬🤬
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Janet – you have completely misunderstood the reason for giving men ‘free’ NI credits from age 60. This wasn’t a freebie over and above any benefits awarded to women – it was just part of the transitional process during which the State pension age for men and women was gradually equalised between 2010 and 2018. The easiest way to explain it is this – if Mr Tabbycat had a twin sister, her State pension age would have been 63 years and 4 months. So, from that date, she would have received her State pension, Pension Credit (if eligible) winter fuel allowance, bus pass, etc etc. But Mr Tabbycat wasn’t due to get his State pension until 65 so, as part of the equalisation process, 63 years and 4 months was his Pension Credit age. No State pension until 65 – but Pension Credit had he been eligible (he wasn’t), plus winter fuel allowance, plus bus pass, plus 2 years of NI credits as he wasn’t working or claiming means tested benefits. As the majority of men between the ages of 60 and 65 either worked or claimed NI credits by other means, Mr Tabbycat was one of a small minority of men who received ‘free’ NI credits. Yes, he recieved 2 years of NI credits, worth about £1,500, but his ‘twin sister’ would have received 2 years 8 months of State pension payments instead. Still think that the men got freebies over and above women of the same age?
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I am the twin sister, born November 1952. While I was entitled to my state pension at 62yr 8mths my twin brother had to wait till he was 65yr. I’m on the old state pension and he was able to claim the much higher new pension. I’m led to believe he will be a lot better off with the new pension, I would’ve like the option to choose!
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As usual the DWP HAVE TO FIND A WAY OF NOT PAYING OUT TO THOSE WHO ARE ENTITLED. BY SAYING ITS TOO EASY TO MAKE A FAKE CLAIM. THINK ON TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE CLAIMING BENEFITS THEY ARD NOT ENTITLED TO.
PENSION IS NOT S BENEFIT. ITS A RIGHT.
WE WORKED FOR IT .
PAY COMPENSATION TO THOSE OF US WHO HAVE EARNED IT.
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This is disgusting. Kudos to whoever leaked it. It confirms our worst fears about how little value is placed in us by this government. The excuses about administration of compensation are ridiculous. Compensation can be paid with our pensions if we ever get them. Certainly they will not have to look for us, we can claim it with our pension by ticking a blinking box! I feel like screaming.
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There is No women men in jobs Equalisation same retirement year. If anybody works 30 years should be able to retire How much can one person pay Tax and in insurance Really!!!!!! and taxing elderly for hard earned money and savings at a higher rate!!!!! Shame on the government…
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disgraceful to suggest not all have suffered via delayed pension.. Most husbands are 5-10yrs older have retired waiting on wife to retire to go on sunshine years of life together.. Many females died before 66/67/68 to getting their hard earned pension begrudge to them.. 1950 we’re first nhs up and running financial inputers. They received no free nursery. No free toddler school meals.. No chb.. No unemployment benefits if service families.. No Wtc.. No EU 35/38 hr working week. It was AGEISM TO START Delay on a generation that got none of today’s benefits. EVERY SINGLE PENSIONERS WERE BETRAYED BY GOVERNMENT CONTRACT FAILURE WHEN 15/16 employment started..MANY FORCED THRU INABILITY of state provision to juggle CARE OF RELATIVE outside hospital setting in UK slave trade as unpaid carer suffering state domestic abuse.. neglect of carer n cared one also most often tax payer.. No help with housing whilst engaged in role despite costing a tenth of migrant costs.. Financially destroyed. This or any government can’t say that not a pension loss when promised carer stamp %not even added.. This country wouldn’t run without grandparents being child minders so next generation can live OK.. Those hidden costs never added up.. Most pensioners work in some capacity where health permits.. But many HAVEN’T had benefit of nhs 3yrs.. Many husbands or wives have died before the extra 6yrs are worked.. Bully you fg government taking the last breath of pensioners.. Waspi have all lost £50k stop belittling. 3.5 million x 6 extra years ====
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it bloody disgusting way to treat us 50s women a lot of us have struggled to work the extra 6 years and financial worse off this government has money to help other country’s but not us who have worked and paid into the system im sick of this corrupt government
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Maybe time to make men born around that time have another 6 years before they can retire. Let’s hear them scream then.equality my a.
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Historically, men retired at 65, a full 5 years later than women. I don’t recall anyone screaming that it was unfair that women retired at 60 back then. To address that unfairness, pension age was equalised at 65 for all. I’m sure men would have preferred their retirement age dropped to 60 to match the women. But that was never going to happen. Governments don’t want to be paying out billions more in pensions every year, so they raised the women to the same age as men. The reality is, as we live longer the government uses its actuaries to ensure the state retirement moves upward with life expectancy, so enough of us to die before we reach pension age, or die soon after. That’s what’s going on behind the scenes. That’s why pension age has steadily increased to 67 & will continue on and beyond 68. The government are taking NI payments from younger people, who may never reach the age to receive a state pension. They can’t opt out. Their NI contributions are used to fund payments to current pensioners.
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Means testing of 50’s women would be a waste of money and time. They rewrite the rules as they go along. We do not need means testing. Our pension is a right not a privilege. I have lost 30,000 in pension having been born in 1955. I despair at the unequal treatment of women by the DWP and Tory ministers. Women are seen as a soft touch and this is so unacceptable. Even more frustrating is the thought of what the Tories spent my pension on! More privatisation, lining their own pockets and the list goes on.
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Perhaps Dominic Cummings had a point about some civil servants!!!!
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well I know where my vote is going and it won’t be conservative
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When I was required by the DSS, to calculate and pay married women affected by the abolition of the Married Women’s Half Test in the early 80’s, after a LONG campaign, we were supplied with their National Insurance records by Newcastle. Their birth and marriage certificates had already been verified, we calculated the arrears due and paid. The only stumbling block to payment of arrears was a change of name not notified to us or a new address. Information is now uploaded for passports and driving licences so it shouldn’t be impossible if a person needs to be verified for payment. My response would be that if money is an issue and the object of this excercise was true equality then take away the free over 60’s National Insurance credits awarded to men up to 2010, recalcualte their pensions and use the money saved to pay 50’s women who were excluded from free credits.
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why did the government not bring the men’s retirement age down to 60 why is it always the women who always suffers a fifty’s man did not rear his children nor did he do housework it was left to the women why did I have to work longer you say it is equally so is the government going to pay us for all that work that we did besides going out to work it seems that man’s rights are worth ten times a woman’s we are just the dogs body but if you arrive in this country you just have to hold out your hand and you get anything you want
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Disgusting but no surprise.Disgusted by the Ombudsman opting out and passing back to Parliament and DWP who I worked for implying fraud.Is that because he is retiring and doesnt want to miss out on an honour?Even though there may be a Court case believe if its passed to Parliament and defeated that tops a court decision.I was born in 53 and paid married woman’s stamp.The changed my age firstly to 62 then 65 and then 66.I was widowed so thought I would inherit my husbands pension and serps but no they quietly changed that so get a reduced pension re my stamp and half my husbands serps.I have received no notifications re any changes or changes to pension paid to widows but found out talking to a colleague employed by the pension service.There certainly weren’t leaflets in the Jobcentre I worked in.I was diagnosed with breast cancer but financially had no choice to continue working.Lost out to the tune of 50k whose pockets did that line.Have no faith that the Government will pay us anything.7 years or so for this.Bet now the MPs supporting Waspi will go quiet and MPs will be persuaded by Whips to vote with the Gov to pay nothing.The problem will go away as we are getting older so wait for us to die.A result!!!
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Thanks again, David. “The submission says: “DWP would not have information on all 1950s-born women and we would have to source their information – for example, through HMRC. We would also need bank details in order to make an automated payment and these would be obtained through outreach and/or some way for citizens to provide their details. Such a scenario would take significant setting-up and would have wide ranging impacts on DWP’s other critical business, with likely costs of the digital aspects.” It says this would take 18 months to set up.” They already have all the above information so this excuse is absolute garbage. Funny how they can trace people if they think they owe them money.
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Hi Christine
Surely the DWP would have everyone’s details, what everyone paid, what they lost etc through their National Insurance No. and for those who have started receiving their state pension they would have their Bank details. They think we are all stupid!!
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It seems that Dominic Cummings might have been right about some senior civil servants after all.
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It is shocking what they are saying now HMRC is it too much work for you even though pensions are electronic ?records will be there they’re quick to come sfter money owed to them but this excuse is ludicrous should be ashamed and to add insult to injury a notification that wow we get a £10 bonus what a joke has not changed since 1970s moral of story is don’t look forward to your retirement because you won’t be treated fairly shame on you all
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One thing that really makes me angry is the number of women who sit in government Who are the same age as we are . I know they don’t have to worry about their pension. But maybe they stand up and support us .
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Yes I have noticed that. One interesting point the judge who initially allowed Backto60’s judicial review to go ahead before it was blocked further up was a 50s born woman. She understood the issues perfectly.
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I’m not really sure about this. I’ve encountered very senior civil servants, who are women and who have been applauded for breaking various glass ceilings, who have ridden roughshod over the interests of vulnerable minorities with a view to advancing their own careers. I’m not saying they are any worse than men, just that they can be equally dishonest and venal. Having “earned” pensions approaching £100k per annum they often move smoothly on to plum positions in the private sector or academia where they tend to be celebrated merely for having done their jobs in the Civil Service. Long story short, I don’t think this is a gendered issue. David, the fact that a female judge granted permission doesn’t necessarily mean that a male judge would not have done so!
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David, I think you probably mean “excoriating” rather than “corruscating”:-)
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Perhaps I do
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Aww come on! The DWP obviously think we’re stupid because they now expect us to believe their excuse that they shouldn’t give us our rightfully earned pension because there’s a danger that there may be fraudulent claims. Okay so they would have to do some groundwork to locate everybody and they would have to get bank details etc etc. So what! They managed to get my details at age 17 and still have them, and for sure they’ll have the details of the other 3+ million other women, because its their job, so i would suggest to them that they don’t take us for complete idiots. As the saying goes, You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time! And if this is their excuse, it is pitiful, and absolutely embarrassingly ridiculous. Its very transparent that they are coming up with the most feeble excuses they can. Honestly, it’s actually laughable.
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How can the DWP say that they would have to employ 5000 plus people to information gather and it would be open to fraud when they have NI records going back to when we started work and how much NI we have been paid, and how many years (six for me) we had to wait for our pension. They are the biggest bunch of crooks in this country denying there was no maladministration. If government don’t do anything about this it will prove that they are anti women and don’t give a stuff about us. can you imagine the outcry if the payments made to an MP when they lost their seat was reduced without notifying them. This is what they have done to us. Shower of no good nitwits!
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That shouldn’t be too hard. Think most of us are on here. Failing that maybe they could put an announcement on tv 📺 🤔
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WaSPI Board’s public silence is deafening since these astonishing leaks were revealed. Such entrenched secrecy would never be tolerated by men in any similar circumstances and men would certainly not stand by and see ‘crumbs for a few’ without regard for all victims. Mick Lynch springs to mind. Why are cherry-picked, paid-up #WaSPI members behaving so selfishly whilst calling themselves Suffragettes. Come on!
CEDAWinLAW’s call to @CommonsPACAC includes it supports Mediation. Garden Court Chambers impartial letters of invitation to Mediation remain on the SoSW&P’s table.
All victims must now support CEDAWinLAW whose first class legal team is developing a case strategy, as we speak.
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Disgusting treatment. I never had one bit of notice . I looked on my computer at work to find out I was working six years extra . Still working now . Pensions are a pittance anyway while they’re paying their selfs big wages get this government out for everybody’s sake . Robbers at the best took all my hard earned pension how dare they insult each one of us !
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It seems Cummings may have been right about some senior civil servants,
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Rediculous¡…. People who work! saved and worked and get pension are getting less money than people who have to go or been on benefits and contiue to get benefits or tax council tax paid… AFTER paying our council tax nhs dentist bills Energy bills and no help to pay And I have less money left than people on benefits!!! Why we working then!!!!!!
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Why does no one ever mention the fact that men qualify for the higher rate pension at a younger age than women? Another pension benefit that a lot of the fifty’s women miss out on. A difference which becomes greater every year!
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