Women affected by State Pension inequality could hear DWP compensation plan next week

Women born in the 1950s affected by changes to their State Pension age might receive news about compensation schemes from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the coming week. With both the Prime Minister and DWP head Liz Kendall pointing out recently that an update on the government’s review of the final report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) on the issue is anticipated "in the near future" and "soon", there is speculation it could come up during the DWP oral questions session in Parliament set for Monday, December 16.

This booked slot in parliament allows MPs an occasion to pose DWP-related questions to the ministerial team and also for any important statements. Though, it should be noted that the government has been reticent to give any firm information about when it will give women an answer on the issue, while it aims to solve the "£22 billion black hole" in the nation's finances.

However, Labour are facing growing pressure to provide an answer on the issue of compensation, with Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaigners waiting for a response to their 124,000-strong petition and opposition parties calling on the government to answer. With parliament breaking up for the winter recess by the end of next week, the government is running out of time to respond.

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Last month, Liz Kendall told the Work and Pensions Committee her commitment to resolving the State Pension age remuneration issue for WASPI women "as soon as possible", describing the report as "extremely complicated" with "lots of information to go through" but underscored the importance for the UK Government to