Overview

• The High Court granted permission on June 6 for a full judicial review of the government’s refusal to compensate women born in the 1950s for state pension age changes.
• A 2024 report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found maladministration in how the DWP communicated rising pension ages and recommended payments of £1,000 to £2,950 per woman.
• Ministers accepted communication failures but argue that most women were aware of the increases and maintain that a blanket compensation scheme cannot be justified.
• Women Against State Pension Inequality campaigners have applied for an interim costs capping order to shield themselves from unlimited legal fees if they lose their case.
• Implementing the Ombudsman’s recommended payouts could cost taxpayers up to £10.5 billion, a key factor cited by ministers in resisting compensation.