When Liberal Democrats gather at conference, we often debate policy in terms of budgets, systems and reforms. But sometimes an issue comes before us that cuts far deeper than policy mechanics. The injustice faced by women born in the 1950s, or WASPI women, is one of those.
This is not simply about pensions. It is about fairness, trust in government, and how we treat the generation of women who helped build the Britain we benefit from today.
Millions of women born in the 1950s were affected by rapid increases to the State Pension Age. In some cases, their retirement age rose by as much as six years. The real injustice, however, was not just the change itself, but how it was communicated.
Many women discovered these changes with as little as 18 months’ notice.
Eighteen months is not enough time to rebuild a retirement plan that someone has spent forty years working towards. Retirement planning is something people structure their entire working lives around. To suddenly move the goalposts so dramatically, without proper notice, left millions of women in an impossible position.
In contrast, by contrast, typically received up to six years’ notice for an increase of just one year, exposing the deeply unequal and gendered impact of these changes.
We now know that this was not simply unfortunate or unavoidable. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman investigated and found maladministration by the Department for Work and Pensions in failing to properly notify women of changes to their State Pension age. That is not the language of campaigners or political opponents; it is the official conclusion of the body Parliament established to hold government departments accountable.
Yet despite this finding, justice for these women is still being denied. On 29 January this year, the Labour Government announced that it would not be compensating these women.
This is particularly disappointing given how many now Labour cabinet ministers previously expressed their support for the WASPI women when they sought their votes, only to deny them any compensation at all once in office.
Lib Dem Women, the official body representing women in the Liberal Democrats, has submitted an emergency motion calling on the Government to accept the Ombudsman’s recommendations, to apologise to the women affected and to introduce a fair, transparent and comprehensive compensation scheme. You can read it here in Conference Extra.
This motion is about fairness, accountability and ensuring that women who were failed by the system are not ignored. The generation of women who are most affected are also the generation who started their careers before the Sex Discrimination Act so they could be sacked for getting pregnant or even married, didn’t have much in the way of childcare provision and were on the sharp end of the gender pay gap. To make them wait up to an additional six years for their State Pension is an injustice too far.
If you are attending conference in person, please support our motion in the hall on Sunday morning first thing.
If you are attending conference online, you can still make your voice heard — online attendees can vote electronically during the debate.
And everyone who is registered will be able to vote for it in the emergency motions ballot which will be coming out later today. Please give it your first preference before the ballot closes tomorrow at 1pm.
We also encourage you to come and meet Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality, who will be at conference on Saturday. Visit us for a photo opp with WASPI branded stickers at stand 34, immediately to the right to the entrance of the exhibition hall.
Please stand with the WASPI women and help us ensure this motion passes.
* Donna Harris is Chair of Lib Dem Women, vice chair of the Campaign for Gender Balance and was Liberal Democrat group leader on Lambeth Council until she stood down in May 2026.
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9 Comments
i as a Waspi , I was born in 1955 and the change in pension age greatly affected me, I feel we should be compensated for this injustice as soon as possible
Waspi have been excellent .
I born 1955 and when I planned for retirement for 6o but didn’t receive a letter or email 66 years.
Add text to previous comment re no letter for 66 years instead of 60.
I was pushed by a bus on 26.22.2002 and my pelvis moved on side high and one lower,as well sciatica. I still have the pain and had to carry until 66 years and not 60 to allow to retire.
I am sure there are many ladies in this waspi session 60 to 66 have problems.
1955..no notice..no letter..my mum told me the news!!
.
The government should have done better but there’s no money for this. Boomers are the richest generation to ever live and get the most benefits. Young people cannot keep paying for boomers to have lives that are no longer fiscally possible. Triple lock, waspi etc are not where the governments borrowed money should go. We have to be honest about how much older people have gotten and be fair to future generations.
@Sarah
“Boomers are the richest generation to ever live ……….”
As I understand it the term ‘boomer’ applies to people born from 1946 to 1964.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomers
I was born in 1946 so I count as a boomer. But I am not a WASPI – that applies to “1950s* born women who saw rapid and steep increases to their State Pension age without adequate notice” – see https://waspi.co.uk/
So it is not all boomers who fall into the WASPI category.
@Nonconformistradical
Yes not all boomers are WASPI but all WASPI are boomers. Of course, low income, disabled etc people including WASPI should have support to live comfortably but giving them money when we can’t afford to help SEND students, young families, NHS appts, or even pay out debt is just selfish and not fesible. Even if WASPI women were 200% in the right, there’s just no money for them on top of all the money they get(pensions, historically low cost of living, huge home price appreciation opportunity, free uni, now free bus passes, winter fuel credit, triple lock etc etc.) Give young people a chance and stop taking more from them. Note I don’t count myself in either category, I just have loads of empathy for young people who pay ever higher taxes to fund the richest generation in history.
I was 1957 no notes of increasing to 66 worked since 15 rob of 6 years
I was never notified about the change on age for pension. When I moved back to my hometown in 2008 to help my sister care for my mum I decided to open a small B&B. I phoned the taxi office to find out about whether it was worth my while paying a full stamp but was told it was not necessary as I had more contributions than was necessary to get my pension & paying anymore wouldn’t increase my pension. A few years later attended an information day as a volunteer & found a group who were talking about pensions etc. This was where I first heard about the change in age for receiving pension. As you can imagine I was shocked as I knew I was going to be short of contributions to receive a full pension. I had never been contacted by letter about the decision to change the age to receive my pension.
By the time this happened I was diagnosed with Inflammatory Osteoarthritis & would have found working very difficult.
I was initially 3 years short of contributions then the age changed again & I was informed I was 5 years short & there was no way I could pay the thousands required to get my full pension.