I’m a Waspi woman – I work as a carer at 64 so I don’t lose my home’
A retired teacher now working as a carer has revealed she is “surviving, not living” as she tries to avoid having to sell her home of 36 years after her state pension was delayed without any warning.
Jayne Hodder, 64, who lives in Wales, is one of the 3.8 million Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) born in the 50s who were affected by the change in the state pension age.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) ruled last month that women affected by the changes are owed compensation from the Government because the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to adequately inform women that the state pension would be raised from 60 to 65, and then later to 66.
After graduating, she spent 10 years in industry and joined the teaching profession in 1991, where she had a successful and enjoyable career spanning 25 years teaching French and German.
She took early retirement from teaching in 2015 with plans to move to France with her partner, aiming to do some part-time work splitting time between the UK and France. At the time of taking early retirement, Ms Hodder still believed her state pension age was 60.
Around 2018, even though she didn’t receive any notification herself, she became aware that the state pension age had changed from 60 to 65 – it later changed to 66 – so she went back to work as a supply teacher.
“I was in my late-50s by this point and it is not easy getting a job at that age,” she told i. “I was burnt out.
“I had a successful teaching career and one that I really enjoyed. But working as a supply teacher was a different matter.”
Things became more difficult when Covid hit and for some time, Ms Hodder had no work as a supply teacher. She returned to the classroom once children were allowed back to school, but found it almost impossible to teach languages wearing a mask and ended up leaving teaching.
Still two years away from receiving her state pension, Ms Hodder, who lost her partner in 2017, said she is now struggling on a small teacher’s pension, which she is supplementing with her savings for daily costs and by working as a carer for a 88-year-old woman – working a minimum of 36 hours a week, but often more.
“It’s very difficult at my age to find suitable work,” she explained. “Being a carer is very rewarding, but it isn’t easy for what I get paid. But that extra pay supplements my low teacher’s pension.”
Ms Hodder is desperately trying to prevent having to sell her home of 36 years but knows she will ultimately be forced to sell it. She keeps trying to “buy herself” another year by using savings, which are fast dwindling.
“My savings are running out and I am selling shares left, right and centre to buy myself another year in my lovely home,” she said. “Savings at my age I feel should be used for treats and holidays, but I am using them just to live on and haven’t had a holiday for six years.
“I have to carefully consider everything I spend from food to shopping to heating. My house is freezing cold, but I only put on the heating the minimum time I can, even in the depths of winter and I have cut down on so many things, such as using my washing machine to keep my energy bills down.
“It peeves me that I am having to live like this at my age when I have worked so hard all my life.”
The ruling from the PHSO said Waspi woman should be entitled to between £1,000 t0 £2,950 for the increase in retirement age and fpr Ms Hodder, the ruling came as vindication as she tells i she has never to this day received any communication informing her of a change to her state pension age.
“I am a bit of a hoarder and keep every document and I know I have never received any communication telling me about a rise in the state pension age,” she said.
“But I have actually found written proof that my expected retirement age was 60 as I have got paperwork from my first employer’s pension scheme saying this from 1983 after I graduated.”
Ms Hodder says that although she describes herself as a “pacifist by nature”, she “absolutely detests injustice in any form” and this has prompted her to join the Waspi campaign to fight for fair and fast compensation.
“I feel very strongly about the impact that the maladministration has had on the likes of myself and millions of other women,” she said.
“In a nutshell, I would say I am surviving, not living. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has concluded that maladministration and injustice has taken place, but the DWP will not comply.
“There is huge talk now about raising a debate in Parliament, but I feel the issue is actually past the point of debate.
“A decision for fast and fair compensation is vital before too many more of us pass away and to stop us having to struggle so much.”
Angela Madden, chair of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign said: “With an average of 6,000 Waspi women in every constituency across the UK, every MP is responsible for delivering justice to women like Jayne.
“After working all her life in the public sector and now in danger of losing her home, the last thing Jayne needs is more time wasting from ministers.
“The Ombudsman’s recommendations last month were clear. It is now time for all MPs to act for their constituents whose retirement plans were plunged into chaos.
“MPs must demand the Government delivers fair and fast compensation to all Waspi women.”
