Pensions Update

Statement

My Right Honourable Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP) has today made the following Written Statement:

I wish to update the House on the Government’s decision in response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) investigation into Women’s State Pension age communication and associated issues. On 17 December 2024, my predecessor made an oral statement and deposited a copy of the Government’s detailed response in the House Library.

In coming to this decision, my Right Honourable Friend gave the Ombudsman’s report full consideration and looked in detail at the findings, reviewing all the information and advice provided to her at the time by the DWP.

Since then, as part of the legal proceedings challenging the Government decision, evidence has been cited about research findings from a 2007 report. This was a DWP evaluation of the effectiveness of Automatic Pension Forecast letters. I am depositing a copy of this report in the Libraries of the House.

Had this report been provided to my Right Honourable Friend, she would of course have considered it alongside all other relevant evidence and material.

In light of this - and in the interests of fairness and transparency - I have concluded that the Government should consider this evidence now. This means we will retake the decision made last December as it relates to the communications on State Pension Age.

As the House will be aware the decision announced last December has been the subject of Court action in recent months and we have today informed the Court of the action we now intend to take.

We will approach this following proper process and in a transparent and fair manner. However, retaking this decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress.

The work will begin immediately, and we will update the House on the decision as a conclusion is reached.