Introduce a compensation scheme for WASPI women
This petition gathered 161,788 signatures between 21 November 2024 and 21 May 2025, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 9 December 2024. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 17 March 2025.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Introduce a compensation scheme for WASPI women
We call on the Government to fairly compensate WASPI women affected by the increases to their State Pension age and the associated failings in DWP communications.
We want the Government to urgently respond to PHSO report and set up a compensation scheme by 21 March 2025.
In March 2024, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said 1950s-born women were owed financial redress and an apology due to DWP maladministration.
The Ombudsman’s findings were backed by the cross-party Work and Pensions Select Committee, hundreds of MPs and, according to our polling, 68% of the public. However, only the Government has the power to put this injustice right.
We have calculated that with one affected woman dying every 13 minutes, there is no time for further delay.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 9 December 2024; the petitions site lists the Department for Work and Pensions as responsible. Its summary:
The Government is reviewing the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report and once this work has been undertaken, will be in a position to outline its approach.
The response in full:
Changes to the State Pension age were made over a series of Acts, starting with the Pensions Act 1995 to equalise State Pension age. The Pensions Act 2007 brought forward recommendations of the Pensions Commission that the State Pension age should be increased to reflect increases in life expectancy and legislated to increase State Pension age to 68 over a thirty-year period. The Pensions Act 2011 and 2014 accelerated these timetables. In addition, the Pensions Act 2014 legislated to introduce periodic reviews of State Pension age. Each Act followed detailed consideration of the issues through public consultations.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) report is not about changes to the State Pension age. The PHSO have been investigating the way DWP communicated State Pension age changes from 1995 onwards impacting 1950s-born women. The Ombudsman published their report on 21 March 2024, the culmination of almost 6 years’ work.
The PHSO has laid the report before Parliament and Government is carefully considering the report. It is a serious report that requires serious consideration and the Government recognises it is important to do so as quickly as possible. In addition, there have been a number of recent debates and questions in Parliament on the issue.
As part of its consideration, the Government is listening respectfully to the women involved. The Minister for Pensions recently met representatives from WASPI Ltd, the first Minister to do so for 8 years, and has also met with the co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on State Pension Inequality for Women and with the interim Ombudsman.
Government respects the work of the Ombudsman and it is actively considering the report. Once this work has been undertaken, it will be in a position to outline its approach.
This Government is absolutely committed to supporting pensioners and giving them the dignity and security they deserve. The State Pension provides the foundation income for people in retirement.
Department for Work and Pensions
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from North Northumberland, with 6.9 signatures per 1,000 electors (514 in all).
158,913 of the signatures were from the UK and 2,875 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Northumberland | 514 | 74,190 | 6.9 |
| Louth and Horncastle | 495 | 76,880 | 6.4 |
| Sefton Central | 477 | 74,284 | 6.4 |
| North Norfolk | 438 | 71,438 | 6.1 |
| Southport | 449 | 73,641 | 6.1 |
| Blackpool North and Fleetwood | 442 | 73,339 | 6.0 |
| East Kilbride and Strathaven | 462 | 76,414 | 6.0 |
| Fylde | 462 | 77,100 | 6.0 |
| North Ayrshire and Arran | 426 | 72,176 | 5.9 |
| Bridlington and The Wolds | 431 | 74,438 | 5.8 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| North West | 21,646 |
| South East | 20,332 |
| Scotland | 18,088 |
| South West | 15,592 |
| East of England | 14,640 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 14,156 |
| West Midlands | 13,193 |
| East Midlands | 12,337 |
| North East | 9,226 |
| Wales | 8,917 |
| London | 7,116 |
| Northern Ireland | 2,314 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 17 March 2025. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700765.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
4545e4a866cf6b71… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.