'Ann worked in the pensions department but even she didn't know about changes'

'The last three years were lost years...to me Ann was denied time and that's worth more than money'

- Giles Sheldrick

CARING Ann Ogilvie spent her life helping others but died as one of almost 280,000 victims of the women's state pension scandal who will never see justice done.

She succumbed to cancer on May 4 without compensation or an apology over a rushed-through increase to the retirement age.

In a bitter irony Ann, 71, worked for the Department for Social Security, later the Department for Work and Pensions, for 48 years but was oblivious to changes which forced her to work for longer.

Instead of retiring at 60 she was forced to toil an extra three years quality time she could have enjoyed with her family.

She was buried by heartbroken loved ones on Friday last week.

Widower David, of Ellington, Northumberland, said: "Ann was honest and hard-working and gave more than she took. It's a shame that cannot be said about the department she worked for."

David, also 71, added: "Despite working for the very department she did not know.

"Ann was not very happy and was denied three years of her life. If she was unaware then what hope did the rest have? She was looking forward to retiring but [this] was sprung on her at the last minute."

The fight for justice by campaign group Women Against State Pension Inequality-Waspi - started in 2015.

Those in the affected group have since died at a rate of 111 per day, or one every 13 minutes.

Scandal

Earlier this month the cross-party Work and Pensions Committee wrote to the DWP asking it to speed up compensation proposals.

Some estimates suggest payouts of up to £2,950 for each affected woman born in the 1950s would cost taxpayers as much as £10billion.