Seaton WASPI woman speaks out after parliamentary ombudsman report | The Westmorland Gazette

Over 3.8million women born in the 1950s 'weren't properly informed' that the state pension age was rising, resulting in them being unable to plan for retirement.

WASPI is the name of a resulting campaign group, and stands for Women Against State Pension Inequality.

A new Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) report found changes to the state pension age were not communicated adequately and those affected should receive an apology and compensation.

Celia Tibble, a former police officer then nurse from Seaton, who also served as a county councillor, has spoken out following the report saying that the WASPI women have a right to apology and compensation from government.

Celia said: “I think it’s the acknowledgement that we weren’t being petty, that we weren’t just twining old women... we have a legitimate, moral case and I don’t know how it can be recompensed.

"The Labour politicians have always been very supportive but I know in my heart of hearts there is no way any government can find the funds to pay us back what we are owed.

“I don’t think anyone has actually said sorry yet but it’s nice for someone to say it’s correct what the people have been fighting for this have asserted.”

Celia had planned, alongside husband Phil, to retire on the same day in 2016, but was informed 18 months prior to the date that she would not get her state pension for another six years.

For Celia it has been the equivalent of £10,000 a year over six years which has been lost, with Celia being shocked to see that ‘all that money seems to have just disappeared’.

Talking about the situation she said: “I’m not as badly off as some people because I did have an NHS pension to fall back on, but Phillip and I were both born on the same day five years apart and everything we have done financially and workwise since we got married in 1975 was geared towards us both retiring on January 7 2016.

"I was in the position with my employment to take early retirement... obviously it was a very stressful job.

“I did that in the full belief that when I was 60, I would get my state pension. About 18 months before I should have retired, I got a letter from the government which sort of said, 'we realise we should have told you before now, but you aren’t going to be able to retire until you're 66'.

"That was six years extra.

“People have said you should have made other arrangements, but when you’ve only got 18 months notice, it’s too late. I know there are people who have been left almost destitute and as the ombudsman has said it was incompetence on the part of the government department and a sort of lack of empathy, I think that’s what hurts the most.

“I wouldn’t have taken my NHS pension early if I had of been aware I wouldn’t get my old age pension.”

Neither the Conservatives nor Labour have issued a response to Thursday’s report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) that found changes to the state pension age were not communicated adequately and those affected should receive an apology and compensation.