Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury on 22 June 2021, Official Report, col 748, whether it is her Department's policy (a) that the matter of changes to women's state pension age is settled and (b) to continue to engage with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's investigation into the communication of those changes.

The Government has no plans to reverse changes to State Pension age brought in under successive Governments since 1995.

The Government decided over 25 years ago that it was going to make the State Pension age the same for men and women as a long-overdue move towards gender equality. Raising State Pension age in line with life expectancy changes has been the policy of successive administrations over many years.

Changes to State Pension age were made over a series of Acts by successive governments from 1995 onwards, following public consultations and extensive debates in both Houses of Parliament.

Both the High Court and Court of Appeal have held that adequate and reasonable notification was given by the DWP and the Supreme Court refused the claimants’ permission to appeal.

We have been working and will continue to work with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in relation to the investigation into the communication of State Pension age increases.