A grandmother has revealed she and her husband have been forced to live on a narrowboat due to changes to her state pension age which hit them hard financially and meant they could no longer afford to rent their home.
Karen Ogle, 66 and husband Mike, 73, now live on a narrowboat in Derbyshire after they were forced to use their savings to buy it when they realised they could no longer afford to privately rent when Mike retired at the age of 69.
“We’re living on a narrowboat out of financial necessity rather than a lifestyle choice,” Ms Ogle told i. “Things had got to the stage where we just couldn’t afford to keep paying private rent anymore as it was costing us £750 a month.
“What worries me is I don’t know how long we will be able to keep doing it if our health declines as while living on a narrowboat is a nice way of life in many ways, it is also a tough way of life.
“Life would have definitely been easier for us if I had been paid my state pension earlier at the age of 60, instead of having to wait until 66 and getting no official notice of it.”
Ms Ogle is one of the estimated 3.8m Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women affected by major changes to the state pension age.
In March, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) ruled that women affected by the changes are owed compensation from the Government because the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to adequately inform women that the state pension would be raised from 60 to 65, and then later to 66.
Ms Ogle explained that her husband Mike carried on working until the age of 69 as she was caring for her father who moved in with them for two-and-a-half years.
When her husband retired from his job as a buyer, they realised they could no longer afford to keep paying their rent and after seeing a cheap narrowboat for sale for £30,000, they used their savings to buy it just over two years ago.
Even though Ms Ogle has now reached state pension age and is finally getting her pension, she says life would have been a lot easier for them if she had received it at 60 as she had anticipated.
The mother-of-four and grandmother of seven, said: “I was a young mum and my children were born in the 1980s and I stayed home to look after them. My first husband who I was married to at the time worked full-time. That marriage broke down. Back in the day, the view was that people stayed married and then you shared your pension. That didn’t happen.
“While my children were smaller, I didn’t work so therefore wasn’t paying into a pension. As they grew older, I did some part-time jobs such as childminding, but I still didn’t have a pension as it wasn’t talked about or the thing, especially with me working part-time.
“Having four children, there’s no way I could have paid for childcare to work full-time.”
When her children were old enough, Ms Ogle began working for a council in social housing and finally started paying into a pension and as a result, has a small private pension.
Following the death of her mother, Ms Ogle’s father stayed with her and her husband, before living with them for two-and-a-half-year when he became too weak to live on his own.
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“I claimed carer’s allowance while I was looking after my father in our home and I couldn’t work as I took him to all his medical appointments and for days out. Mike had to carry on working so we could pay our rent.
“My dad had such a good time living with us and we loved it and I wouldn’t change any of that. He died in November 2020.
“But financially, life would have been much easier for all of us if I had got my pension at 60 or if we’d been given notice of the change in pension age.”
Ms Ogle says she didn’t receive any official notification about the state pension age rise and only found out through the media.
“All us Waspi women thought we would retire at 60 and men would retire at 65 and that is what I always believed,” she said. “I was never informed otherwise or told ‘you’d better start paying into a pension because it’s all going to change’.”
Living on their narrowboat, Ms Ogle and her husband are continuous cruisers because there are no moorings so they move their boat up and down the canals. “Some places, you can stay two days, others it’s a week and some it’s 14 days,” she explained.
“We have to keep moving the boat and empty the toilet, so it’s not the easiest life. Living on a narrowboat has its challenges, but it’s also nice as you get to constantly change your scenery and as you’re only travelling four miles an hour, you see the country from a different perspective as you’re just cruising along.
“But although it’s a nice way of life, it’s also a tough way of life because you’re lugging coal and logs and water.
“We are living on a narrowboat out of necessity rather than choice and it’s fine while we’ve got our health, but what happens when we don’t?
“Our worry is for when our health declines as we get older as we will have to still be setting locks and swing bridges and everything else as living on a narrowboat is quite physical and strenuous.”
Ms Ogle says even though she and her husband now receive their state pensions, the high cost of living means living on the narrowboat is the best option for them.
She says it would be different if they were still able to work, but feels ageism plays a factor in getting work. “I tried to get a job in a supermarket last year, but I didn’t even get an interview,” she said. “They don’t want older people, but younger people, especially those who are cheaper to pay.
“If I had got my state pension at 60, we would have more money in the pot and some savings behind us and be able to do more with the grandchildren. But things are just so difficult financially.”
Ms Ogle told i that she feels the July 4 general election announcement is a big blow to the Waspi campaign, and believes it will delay any compensation she may receive.
“There will be a huge hill to climb for Waspi women.
“I believe if any compensation is paid, it will be around £1,000, which would be wrong when the average loss per woman is probably something like £35,000.”
Angela Madden, chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi), said: “Women such as Karen had their retirement plans thrown into jeopardy, destroying the retirement plans and forcing many out of their own homes.
“The worst affected women had just 18 months’ notice of a six-year increase to their State Pension age increase, resulting in life changing consequences.
“With the release of the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s report in March, a clear order was given to MPs to deliver financial redress to women as quickly as possible.
“With 3.6 million Waspi women across the country demanding fair and fast compensation, many in marginal seats, it is clear that the political parties should act quickly and commit to paying compensation to those affected who have already waited too long for justice.”
In light of Rishi Sunak calling a snap general election on 4 July, Ms Madden said: “The Prime Minister has taken a huge gamble in choosing to take the country to the polls with no plan to compensate Waspi women.
“Waspi has been overwhelmed with support from MPs across the Commons in recent weeks, who are backing our calls for fair and fast compensation.
“There is now a clear opportunity for all parties to commit to delivering a fair remedy as soon as possible.
“With the numbers of affected women outnumbering the majorities of MPs in nearly 170 constituencies, the votes of Waspi women are vital in this election.”
