Thousands of women in the St Austell and Newquay constituency could stand to benefit from compensation over their pensions — if the government decides to pay out.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been found to have failed to adequately inform women born in the 1950s about changes to the state pension age.

Women who thought they would be retiring at 60 were shocked when they later learned their retirement age had been raised years before by the government to 65.

The women, who were due to retire in the 2010s, said they were given little opportunity to plan for a later retirement and a significant number faced financial hardship as a result.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) has found against the government after investigating complaints that, since 1995, the DWP had failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information about areas of state pension reform.

WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) has been campaigning over the issue for many years. And the campaign has received strong support from women in Cornwall.

Joanna Kenny, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for St Austell and Newquay, said: “Congratulations to the WASPI women who have won the latest round in their ongoing battle for fair treatment when the pension age increased for women born on or after April 6, 1950, from 60 to 65, and then to 66. There are over 3,000 women affected in our constituency of St Austell and Newquay.

“The campaign has not been won yet — the ombudsman’s chief executive has confirmed that the DWP had no intention of complying and providing the compensation due — something between £1,000 and £3,000 each.

“But knowing this group as I do, I have no doubt that they will not easily be put off. And the campaign will continue.

“A government department failing to give information – who would have thought it?!”

Paying compensation could land the government with a bill of billions of pounds.

WASPI wants urgent action on pay-outs because many of the women affected by the issue are reaching the end of their lives.