WOMEN pension campaigners in Ceredigion have thrown their weight behind legal action against the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, claiming that his approach to their case is ‘irrational’.

The Ombudsman has been investigating the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) since October 2018 over their failures to communicate changes to the State Pension age to women born in the 1950s.

This saw millions of women affected by a lack of notice of the rise from 60 to 65 (and later 66).

“We are pleased that our colleagues in the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign have started the process for a Judicial Review in the High Court,” Pamela Judge from Ceredigion Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI) said.

“The Ombudsman concluded in 2021 that the DWP was guilty of maladministration in its handling of State Pension age changes, saying it should have written to the women affected by December 2006 at the latest.

“However his subsequent findings show inconsistencies and irrational assumptions which cannot remain unchallenged.”

Ceredigion WASPI member Melinda Williams added: “Over 5,000 1950s-born women throughout Ceredigion have been badly let down by DWP failures and the flaws in the Ombudsman’s report.

“Many women had their retirement plans wrecked by the lack of notice of changes to their State Pension age and have been struggling to get by ever since.

“Yet, despite this, many have still managed to dig deep and give to the campaign as well as make a donation direct from our group.”