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SPF welcomes WASPI report

The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum: the campaigning organisation for older people in Scotland, have today welcomed the findings of the National Audit Office report which uncovers the administrative blunders which led to many women losing out on their state pension entitlement.

Rose Jackson, SPF Chair, stated

“While we welcome the findings of the report, it only serves to highlight the dire situation that many women have found themselves in on reaching state pension age. This is nothing short of blatant indifference to their needs on the part of the UK Government.“

“Without being given a full explanation of the complexities of the situation throughout their working lives, both as homemakers and in paid employment, access to their state pension should have been an entitlement for women in their own right and not just another bureaucratic hoop for them to have to jump through upon reaching retirement.“

“Women have a right to a state pension, not merely thrown scraps at the end of their working lives.”

The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum has been campaigning on pensions issues for over 30 years and are steadfast in their support of campaigns such as Women Against State Pension Inequality and the removal of the triple lock pension.

This latest report shows that 134,000 pensioners, mostly women, had been underpaid their state pension due, in part, to outdated computer programmes and systems in operation at the Department of Work and Pensions.

However, Rose was quick to challenge any ambiguity surrounding this.

“The UK Government issue guidelines that their departments have to adhere to so to lay the blame directly at the door of the DWP and it’s staff is a blatant cop out and a shirking of responsibility by the UK Government.“

“The fact that pensions now have to be applied for and not automatically generated is another shameful decision which should never have been rubber stamped in the first place.“

“The UK Government know only too well that they have to re-evaluate their bureaucratic structures and give pensioners of today, and tomorrow, their entitlement to a state pension which has been accrued, by way of contributions, throughout their working lives.“

September 2021