[2] Analysis by Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI) highlighted that there was no single cause of the gap and all regions have significant gender differences in the level of retirement income.
[27] A protest group Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) was created in 2015, and an online petition of 118,000 signatures asked Parliament for a formal debate on the matter,[28] which took place in February 2016.
[38] However the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman found and reported in July 2021, based on six 'test cases' that there was 'maladministration' in the communications to women about their changes in state pension, by the relevant department of UK government (DWP).
[39] The Ombudsman updated the public information into its enquiry in February 2022, indicating that it was now awaiting evidence from the Department for Work and Pensions due by the end of March 2022, without which it cannot begin the 'stage two of..investigation and considering whether the failings.. identified led to an injustice for the complainants.
[44] Juan Yermo, Chief of Staff to the OECD Secretary-General, has said, "Policy makers need to account for and address the factors that can lead to gender inequalities, and should strive to design gender-neutral retirement savings arrangements.".
[17] The gap increased during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic[5] but the new experiments with alternative styles of working may offer employers opportunities to implement more flexible policies that will encourage more women to remain in the workforce.