Why the <scp>WASPI</scp> has no Sting: Gender, Generation and Pension Inequalities

Abstract

AbstractSince 2015, Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) has campaigned tirelessly for ‘justice’ for the millions of 1950s‐born women adversely affected by the raising and equalisation of the state pension age (SPA). Yet, to date, no compensation has been paid. This article uses WASPI to explore the challenges of organising politically around gender, age and welfare rights, combining quantitative analysis with new qualitative material from the Mass Observation life‐writing archive. It argues that most women have been cushioned from the financial impact of the SPA reform only through the availability of male spousal income. Furthermore, members of this cohort articulate a ‘lucky boomer’ identity, rooted in a sense of belonging to a postwar generation which has benefitted from a generous welfare state, decent occupational pensions and homeownership. As a result, the resonance of WASPI's narrative of generational injustice may be weak for at least some 1950s‐born women.