A long-awaited report into how women born in the 1950s are affected by rising retirement ages has recommended they should be compensated.

Parliament and the health service ombudsman have been investigating possible injustices caused by the decision to raise women’s retirement age to bring it in line with men’s.

Women’s Organization Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) said millions of people had suffered financial losses because they had not been given enough warning to prepare for the change.

“As well as paying compensation, we make it clear that the DWP should acknowledge its failings and apologize for the impact it has had on the complainant and others similarly affected,” the report said.

Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of PHSO, said: “The UK National Ombudsman found failings by the DWP in this case and ruled that compensation should be provided to the women affected. The DWP has made clear it will refuse to comply “This is unacceptable.” The department must do the right thing and be held accountable if it doesn’t.

“Complainants should not have to wait to see whether the DWP will take action to rectify its failings. Given our serious concerns that it will not act on our findings and the need to put things right for the women affected as quickly as possible, we have proactively asked the council to intervene and hold the department accountable.
“Councils now need to act quickly to ensure a compensation scheme is put in place. We believe this will provide women with the fastest route to redress.”

The activist group has been fighting for compensation for years.

this State Pension Age Matched with men, the move has been praised for improving gender equality.

For decades, men retired at 65 and women at 60.

A law passed in 1995 set a timetable for eventually raising the retirement age for women to match that of men.

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The original plan was to phase in the changes over 10 years between 2010 and 2020, giving people enough time to plan ahead.

However, the coalition government in 2011 accelerated the shift to reducing costs, bringing the retirement age forward to 2018.

Waspi agreed to age parity but said they were not properly informed of the changes, leaving them without enough time to prepare or make other financial arrangements.