Women Being Misadvised On Pension Age by Government’s Website – Women Are Being Kept In the Dark About These Changes

by Dr. Ros Altmann

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Despite some of the most fundamental changes to the pensions age in many years, over-50s organisation Saga is warning that many women are being misinformed by the DWP about their age. Women are urged to double check the information they are accessing at the DWP website’s state pension age calculator, as it has misled women and their MPs.

The government recently announced far reaching reforms of the pensions system, in particular the age at which people will be entitled to claim their state pension. Yet despite the announcement of these reforms the changes are still not accurately reflected on the Government’s own retirement calculator which is on the Directgov website at http://pensions.direct.gov.uk/en/state-pension-age-calculator/home.asp.

“At first this may appear a minor technical error on the part of the DWP, but for women using the site to gain, what they believe is a definitive source of accurate information, they are being given misinformation and false hope,” said Ros Altmann, Director General of Saga. Indeed, some women who have complained about the changes to their MP have been told by the MP that they need not worry as the Government’s calculator shows their retirement age has not changed!

“A small caveat under the calculator that gives further information on the “proposed” changes, which is already almost a month out of date, is simply not enough. The women affected by these changes are furious with the Government and feel they are being disproportionately affected by policies made by men who do not understand the impact on these women’s lives. They have all already had to adjust to an increase in their pension age that was introduced a few years ago and have accepted that, but now they simply won’t have enough time to prepare. And for those who are being given incorrect retirement dates by the DWP website itself, it gives them even less time and causes further confusion.

The calculator should either be withdrawn or amended to reflect the new proposed dates, but should not be left in place as it is, and then mislead the public in this irresponsible manner.”