PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
State Retirement Pensions: Women (30 August 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman entitled Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024, whether she has made an estimate of the cost of providing financial redress to impacted women in (a) North Cornwall constituency and (b) the UK.

Asked by:
Ben Maguire (Liberal Democrat)

We have not estimated the costs of providing redress in North Cornwall. The Ombudsman’s report (para 504) published on 21 March 2024 estimated that providing compensation to all 1950s women at the level 4 range would cost between around £3.5 and £10.5bn.

As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman’s report along with the evidence provided during the investigation.

Now the election has concluded we need to consider the views that have been expressed on all sides.

The issues outlined in the report are significant and complex, as such they require serious deliberation. Once this work has been undertaken, the Government will be in a position to outline its approach.

I met with representatives of the WAPSI Campaign on the 5 of September.

Answered by:
Emma Reynolds (Labour)
10 September 2024