London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Generation of women in debt after 'absolutely devastating' state pension fallout

Generation of women in debt after 'absolutely devastating' state pension fallout

Data shared with Sky News from WASPI found a third of women affected by the changes are in debt, with as many as 80% saying they suffered financial hardship by the delay in finding out the retirement age had changed.

For 3.8 million women born in the 1950s, retiring at 60 was all they knew.

Until suddenly, they learned that they would have to wait a further six years to get their state pension.

An additional six years of working none of them, including Moira Holland, had planned for.

Ms Holland had dedicated 35 years of her working life to the care sector, after gruelling and tiresome work she was ready to retire at 60 and was counting down the days until she would be able to enjoy her retirement.

Vigorous work had also taken its toll on her mental and physical health, but knowing she was a year from retiring got her through the tough days.

The devastating blow came via a letter, informing her a year before she was due to say goodbye to work, that she would have to work for six more years and retire at 66 instead.

"It was devastating, absolutely devastating," Ms Holland tells Sky News. "We thought at 60 years old we'd get our pension.

"So I was all set up to retire, have a nice life, get my pension, be able to manage well, and then to get the letter to say no – 'you've not got to work one more year, you've got to work six more years till you're 66' – was terrible, absolutely terrible."

Ms Holland says the last-minute nature of the news has impacted her health.

"I had mental health problems and arthritis, you know really physically and mentally, I was really struggling, really struggling to work," she explains.

"Also, lots of my friends died at 60, and they never got their pension. So on top of the health problems, I'm thinking, am I ever going to see this pension? Am I going to live to be 66? Nobody knows. So really, it was very, very heart-wrenching."


Moira Holland

Why was the state pension age changed?


The state pension age was aligned to match men in a move praised for improving gender equality.

But campaigners from Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) have long argued they were not given sufficient warning of the change, leaving millions with insufficient time to prepare or make other financial arrangements.

What has the impact been?


Exclusive data shared with Sky News from WASPI found a third of women affected by the changes are in debt, with as many as 80% saying they suffered financial hardship by the delay in finding out the retirement age had changed.

So far, 220,190 women impacted have died without answers.

Campaign chair of the voluntary organisation, Angela Madden, accuses the government of not meeting with members since 2016.

She tells Sky News: "The government has never really engaged with us. Guy Opperman was the last pensions minister to meet with the WASPI campaign in 2016, which really is atrocious given that we have lost so much through government incompetence.

"It is up to the government to change the state pension age if they must.

"There were probably reasons they did that, but not to have the courtesy to give us any notice so that we can do anything about it is absolutely disgraceful, and they should be ashamed of themselves."

Campaign chair of the voluntary organisation WASPI Angela Madden


'I wasn't given the opportunity'


Last year, the Parliamentary Ombudsman found the women should have been given at least 28 months' more notice.

It said the Department for Work and Pensions should have written individual letters to the affected women.

Ms Madden was also personally affected by the maladministration.

"Some women, myself included, chose to stop working before we knew about the state pension age increasing because our parents or members of our family required care," she says.

"I made the choice to leave a full time job and spend some time with my mother in her final days.

"Looking back, if given an earlier warning, I would have probably combined caring for my mother and working part-time. I wasn't given the opportunity to make that choice.

"Had the government done what they should have done and told us as soon as they knew about the law changing, then we would have all known about it well in advance and been able to make the right decisions."

What has the government said?


A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson told Sky News: "We support millions of people every year and our priority is ensuring they get the help and support to which they are entitled.

"The government decided over 25 years ago it was going to make the state pension age the same for men and women as a move towards gender equality.

"Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have supported the actions of the DWP under successive governments dating back to 1995 and the Supreme Court refused the claimants' permission to appeal."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×