‘I’m a Waspi woman with incurable cancer. I want justice before it’s too late’

A Waspi woman suffering from incurable cancer who lost her husband and then her home after being unable to afford the mortgage wants justice before it’s too late.

Irene Anderson-Keys, 70, is one of an estimated 3.8 million Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) affected by major changes to the state pension age.

Waspi campaigners say that women born between 1950 and 1960 were not given enough notice about the increase in their pension age and want compensation for the impact on their lives.

Ms Anderson-Keys, who lives in Dorset, lost her husband Phil to cancer in 2017. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer but by the time it was discovered, it had spread to his liver. He died at the age of 64.

Ms Anderson-Keys worked as a secretary for her husband’s plumbing business and also had a dog minding business, but gave up work at the age of 59 when her husband became ill, believing she would receive her state pension at 60.

“I wasn’t made aware that I wouldn’t be getting my state pension at 60 as I believed I would,” she told The i Paper. “My husband was diagnosed with cancer and died two years later. But if I had known I wouldn’t be getting my state pension at 60, I would have carried on working.”

Irene Anderson-Keys with her husband Phil on their wedding day

Following her husband’s death, Ms Anderson-Keys ended up being forced to sell the house they had lived in for 21 years as she could not afford the mortgage. She is now living in rented accommodation and says that although she now receives her state pension, she scrimps and saves to make ends meet.

“If I had received my state pension at 60 like I thought, I could have carried on paying the mortgage and I wouldn’t have lost the house,” she said. “I sold it after my husband died as I knew it would have upset him too much so I waited until after his death.

“I sold the house and only got about £50,000 from selling it because we still had a mortgage to pay and didn’t have any savings. I had to live off that £50,000 for six years until I got my state pension.

“I am now living in rented accommodation which never feels secure as you never know when the landlord is going to want to sell up.

“It was devastating losing my home after losing my husband. I loved it there and would have stayed there until the end of my days. I had always owned my own home, and it really upsets me that I don’t anymore.”

Life was already difficult for Ms Anderson-Keys, and she struggled with depression and anxiety. But now, she has been delivered a further bombshell after being diagnosed with an incurable cancer.

“I had breast cancer two years ago and had surgery to remove the lump and lymph nodes and treatment and was put on medication for it,” she said. “I was doing fine and thought it was behind me.

“However, I woke up recently one morning with a severe pain in my ribs just under my right breast and it felt like a cracked rib.

“I went to the doctor and they thought it was a blood clot at first and I was rushed to accident and emergency. However, after they did a CT scan, they found cancer in my bones – my back and my ribs.

“I have been told it is stage 4 and incurable.”

Irene Anderson-Keys with her dog Barney

Ms Anderson-Keys says she is trying to stay upbeat despite her diagnosis and she is determined that she wants to live long enough to see Waspi women get justice and the compensation they deserve.

Irene said: “I would love to finally have some compensation before anything happens to me. I don’t think my diagnosis has hit me properly yet as at the moment, I feel OK.

“I have got a lovely daughter and granddaughter and lovely friends who support me so I am lucky in that way.

“I think it is disgusting that I lost my house after my husband passed away when I could have kept it going if I had received my pension at 60. We weren’t prepared for it as we weren’t informed.

“It has affected my life so much and it would be pretty devastating if I pass away without getting any compensation.”

Ms Anderson-Keys wants to live long enough with her incurable cancer to see Waspi women get compensation

Campaigners say the latest figures reveal 379,534 Waspi women have died since 2015.

The Waspi campaign is taking the Government to the High Court over their decision to reject compensation. The group recently cleared a major hurdle as they secured a cost-capping order which means they will have to pay the Government no more than £60,000 if they lose their case.

“I want to live long enough to see Waspi women win their case and see them get justice,” said Irene.

Angela Madden, chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), said: “An entire generation of women born in the 1950s carefully planned for their retirement and dutifully paid into the system all their lives.

“At the last minute, and through no fault of their own, they had the rug pulled from beneath their feet which forced many women just like Irene into impossible positions, causing some to even lose their homes.

“With the Government now set to be hauled before High Court judges to defend the indefensible, they would be wise to heed the calls of hundreds of their own MPs, and millions of people across the country, who want justice to be delivered without delay, including Irene.

“Our thoughts are with her and her family at this difficult time. After 10 years of campaigning and over 370,000 tragic losses, stories from Waspi women such as Irene never get easier to hear.

“We will keep fighting and stand by all women impacted by this injustice.”

A DWP spokesperson said: “We express our deepest sympathies to Mrs Anderson-Keys. There are Special Rules for the End of Life which enable faster, easier access to certain benefits for people nearing the end of their lives.

“We have also apologised for there being a 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women.

“However, we do not agree with the Ombudsman’s approach to injustice or remedy and that is why we have decided not to pay compensation.”