The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has agreed to look again at the stage two report in its investigation into the way the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) communicated changes to women’s state pension age.

The news has been highlighted as a “major victory” for the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign.

In the first stage of its investigation into the DWP's communication of state pension age changes, the ombudsman concluded that DWP had committed maladministration by failing to write promptly to the affected women.

However, the PHSO's stage two report concluded that maladministration in DWP’s communication about state pension age and about national insurance qualifying years, and its complaint handling, did not lead to all the injustices claimed.

Following this, the Waspi campaign launched a judicial review in the High Court to challenge the PHSO's stage two report, raising £120,000 from thousands of affected women.

In particular, the campaign raised concerns around the PHSO's approach to calculating the impact that maladministration had, arguing that the approach is "irrational" and could make a "massive difference" to the losses women suffered.

However, the PHSO has now voluntarily agreed to look again at one point of its stage two report, with its stage three report to be reviewed in lights of this, although this may not necessarily result in any changes.

A PHSO spokesperson said: “We are confident that we have completed a fair and impartial investigation. As an independent ombudsman, our duty is to provide the right outcome for all involved and make sure justice is achieved.

“Given the legal challenge brought against us, we have agreed to look again at part of our stage two report. We hope this cooperative approach will provide the quickest route to remedy for those affected and reduce the delay to the publication of our final report.”

Waspi chair, Angela Madden, highlighted the news as a "real milestone on our very long journey to justice".

“Such a big victory would not have been possible without the support of thousands of ordinary women who dug deep to fund our case," she continued.

"The PHSO could see that we would not just accept flawed conclusions and quietly go away.

“Now we call on all political parties to commit to fast, fair compensation for WASPI women in their manifestos at the next election."

Adding to this, Waspi solicitor and Bindmans LLP public law and human rights solicitor, Caroline Robinson, commented: “A huge group of women who had been let down badly by the DWP placed their trust in the ombudsman to get to the bottom of why that happened, why it was unjust and to recommend a fair remedy.

"Regrettably, the ombudsman also let them down with his deeply flawed stage two report. But our clients are pleased that the ombudsman had the humility to recognise his errors when challenged and agreed to withdraw the report and reconsider his approach.

"Our clients are hopeful that this will lead to a fairer outcome for those affected by the DWP’s maladministration.”

Commenting in response to the news, a Department for Work and Pensions Spokesperson said: “The government decided over 25 years ago it was going to make the state pension age the same for men and women.

“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.”

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