Norma Elkinton, a 68-year-old Malaysia Borneo campaigner from Blackpool, Lancashire has expressed her dismay over the UK government’s announcement. This, she says, is why it’s important to re-evaluate its policy on reimbursing women affected by the rise in state pension age. Elkinton labeled this shift a “delaying tactic.” After all, these women who have faced the largest changes in pension age had no meaningful ways of preparing for this ruination of their retirement plans to begin with.
As a result, the state pension age for women has gone up from 60 to 66. This decision has been met with incredible backlash and promises of reparations. The administration is under fire for their decision to postpone the delivery of these essential, individualized critical information letters. This delay of 28 months impacted hundreds of thousands of women. After an action by the Women of AI, the parliamentary ombudsman recommended compensation of £1,000-£2,950 to these women. Yet the government has rejected all such financial payouts with conviction.
In a recent interview with BBC Radio Lancashire, Elkinton shared her concerns. She highlighted that the government’s plans are an attempt to distract from the still ongoing High Court case. She was articulate and poignant in getting her frustrations across. She continued to stress that the government has owned the documents required for years and has failed to act on them.
“They’re delaying – all this time that paperwork’s been there and they’re saying that they never looked at it.” – Norma Elkinton
Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden speaking in the Commons. He made clear that the government’s rethinking of compensation does not guarantee any financial compensation to those harmed. This new statement has disappointed many, including Elkinton, as they still fight for a more firm solution.
The Waspi campaign has already brought attention to many women affected by the pension age rise. They are calling for compensation payments of no less than £10,000 to victims. The government’s lack of meaningful action has led to anger and disappointment among campaigners and advocates. First, they say, too many women are suffering financially due to the abrupt shift.
Previous administrative oversights have compounded the difficulty of the situation. One example is that a key document was never shown to Liz Kendall, the then-work and pensions secretary who signed off the decision not to award compensation.
