THE Island's WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women are calling on the Government to urgently solve the issue of pension compensation.

The latest stage of the long campaign follows the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) report which concluded the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to act on research findings to target their communications to those affected by the changes in State Pension age — WASPI women.

WASPI, which represents many of the 3.8 million women affected, has been repeatedly dismissed by successive Governments who claim women were given ample warning.

However, the report found it was not a lack of capability that delayed DWP from writing directly to affected women, but the idea was not explored until a review into the awareness levels among women impacted.

The women say the impacts have been devastating, leaving many with little to no time to prepare for their future.

Shelagh Simmons, co-ordinator of Solent WASPI group (which includes the Isle of Wight), said: "Today’s provisional findings reinforce what we, unfortunately, knew all along — that the DWP failed to adequately inform 3.8 million 1950s-born women that their State Pension age would be increasing.

“We have been tirelessly campaigning on this issue since 2015 and have been repeatedly ignored and dismissed by the Government. The Government can no longer cover up its failings. It’s time, once and for all, to resolve this issue.”