S6M-12700: Beatrice Wishart: DWP Maladministration and the WASPI Women - That the Parliament recognises what it sees as the importance of the publication of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) report, Women’s State Pension age: our findings on injustice and associated issues, for many women across Scotland, including in Shetland; notes that this report found that the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) did not sufficiently inform thousands of women of the changes to the State Pension age as it should have done; understands that, due to this maladministration, the Ombudsman has recommended that these women be compensated by the DWP, and that should the DWP continue to refuse to take the necessary actions to rectify its wrongs, then the UK Parliament must intervene; notes the belief that it is only right that these women receive compensation; further notes the belief that the UK Government should come forward immediately with a plan to provide this compensation, and notes the calls on it to do so; expresses deep regret that many women who, it believes, fought courageously for justice died before seeing such justice; notes the belief that this should act as an impetus for the UK Government to respond swiftly, so that more women do not pass before they receive any compensation; considers that the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has worked tirelessly in what it sees as its fight for justice, and that its persistence and hard work is to be admired, and notes the calls for the UK Government to do what is right. 7 PB/S6/24/085 S6M-12612: Clare Haughey: WASPI PHSO Final Report Published – That the Parliament notes the findings from the UK Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) final report into the women’s State Pension age and associated issues, published on 21 March 2024; understands that the PHSO has made a finding of failings by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in this case, and has ruled that the women affected are owed compensation; believes that women born in the 1950s have been treated unfairly by accelerated changes to the State Pension age, under the Pensions Act 1995 and subsequent legislation, and that the changes were not adequately communicated to them; understands that the report finds that many 1950s-born women have experienced financial loss and a negative impact on their health, emotional wellbeing and home life as a result; further understands that around 3.6 million women are impacted, including an estimated 5,000 in the Rutherglen constituency; recognises that, in its stage one report published in 2021, the PHSO found "maladministration" on two counts, the first being in 2005 when the DWP failed to make a reasonable decision about targeting information to the women affected by these changes, and the second being when the DWP proposed, in 2006, writing to women individually to tell them about changes to the State Pension age, but reportedly failed to act promptly; regrets that, as per the findings in the final ombudsman report, the DWP has not acknowledged its failings nor put things right for those women affected, and that it has failed to offer any apology or explanation for its failings and has indicated that it will not compensate women affected by its failure; notes the reported comments by the PHSO chief executive, Rebecca Hilsenrath, that given the "significant concerns" that it has that the DWP will "fail to act on" its findings, and "given the need to make things right for the affected women as soon as possible" the PHSO has "proactively asked Parliament to intervene and hold the Department to account...