A PEMBROKESHIRE women's pensions campaigner has warned women born in the 1950s not to expect a cheque in the post straight away if the ombudsman rules in their favour.

The WASPI women say that governments between 2004 and 2011 were guilty of maladministration, when they failed to inform women directly about changes to their state pension age.

Well over 12,000 women in the two Pembrokeshire constituencies are among more than 3.8m women throughout the UK who have lost several years of the pensions they had paid into, for many as much as £50K.

Despite changing the law in 1995 the government did not start to write to some of the women concerned until 2012. By then it was far too late for most women to change their plans for retirement and make alternative financial arrangements. Many women report that they never received a letter at all.

The ombudsman's report is expected by the end of July. Leaked reports of his provisional findings have already appeared in the media.

Jackie Gilderdale Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen WASPI organiser said: "We deplore the leaking of the ombudsman's report, not just because it was a confidential document, but because it has given women the false impression that they will soon be getting compensation.

"Even if the Ombudsman rules that it was maladministration there will be two more stages to go through.

"Next he will have to investigate whether there was injustice, and if so, whether compensation is appropriate.

"We are hopeful that a fair and fast solution can be found but it certainly won't be immediate."

For more information about the ombudsman's investigate see https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/complaints-womens-state-pension-age