Thousands of Waspi women hit by pension age rise must be compensated now, landmark report says [Video]

Rishi Sunak is being urged to set aside billions of pounds to compensate women whose lives were “ruined” by government failures relating to changes in the state pension age.

A damning report has said that the affected women, born in the 1950s, should be offered an apology and payouts of between £1,000 and £2,950, after changes to the age at which they would be eligible to draw a state pension were not communicated properly, plunging their retirement plans into chaos.

The scathing 100-page report, published by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), criticised the government for its handling of the change in the pensionable age from 60 to 65, accusing it of failing to acknowledge its error or to put things right for those affected.

But Downing Street has so far refused to commit to paying compensation, which the watchdog said could cost the …