Women affected by state pension changes must be compensated – Carmichael

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today condemned the government’s decision to reject the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s ruling on compensation for women affected by the increase in the state pension age. The government has in a statement today rejected a compensation scheme, on the basis of budget pressures and disagreement with the PHSO’s findings.

The Ombudsman recommended that the government apologise and pay compensation to women affected by the increase, because the changes were not communicated properly between 1995 and 2007. 

Mr Carmichael said:

“The findings of the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman were clear: the government failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information to women affected by the state pension changes.

“The Ombudsman was equally clear that those affected deserve compensation. It is hard to see how the government can reject that basic conclusion. Government budgets may be under pressure but there is no point in having the Ombudsman make such a ruling if we do not respect its findings, which were themselves far from what the women affected were hoping for.

“The women involved have tirelessly campaigned for justice and deserve our admiration for their persistence. Ministers would be wise to think carefully about the political implications of discarding the Ombudsman’s ruling today.

“We cannot of course forget the malpractice of the outgoing Conservative government in all this. Sitting on the Ombudsman’s report for months before the election and cynically refusing to allocate any funding for compensation was utterly irresponsible and directly led to the mess we have today.”