WASPI women urge UK Government to ‘get around the table’ to discuss State Pension age compensation
This month marks 10 years of WASPI campaigning for State Pension compensation for millions of 1950s-born women.
WASPI women (Women Against State Pension Inequality) across the country say they have been “totally abandoned” by the UK Government as they mark 10 years of their fight for State Pension age compensation. An estimated 3.8 million 1950s-born women across the UK missed out on State Pension payments after increases to the official age of retirement by successive governments.
A snap poll of more than 5,000 WASPI women found a collapse in support for the main political parties following the UK Government’s decision in December 20204 not to set up a State Pension age compensation scheme.
Vast numbers of WASPI women (88%) said their votes have been ‘taken for granted’ by the Labour Party, following supportive pledges of compensation from hundreds of MPs prior to last year’s general election.
More than four-fifths (80%) of affected women said both the Labour and Conservative parties do not care about WASPI women, while Reform UK fares even worse at 85 per cent.
When asked how they would vote if there were a general election tomorrow, two-in-five (38%) of respondents said they are either unsure or will not bother voting at all.
However, despite widespread dissatisfaction with the nation’s political leaders, the research shows that affected women are more determined than ever to influence the political debate.
More than half (51%) of WASPI women said they feel more motivated to vote at the next election, while a similar figure (47%) said they have become more politically active since the UK Government’s refusal to pay compensation.
The findings come as WASPI campaigners mark a decade of campaigning, a period which has seen six Prime Ministers and nine Pensions Ministers.
With MPs set to return to Westminster next week (September 1), campaigners are gearing up for more action ahead of a critical Budget set to be delivered by Rachel Reeves this Autumn.
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Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) said: “It is no surprise that WASPI women feel totally abandoned by those who once promised to right this historic injustice.
“After 10 years of campaigning, this generation of women are more determined than ever to secure the justice we are due.
“Despite the hopes of some, we are not going away. We know hundreds of MPs across the political parties back our calls for fair compensation, as do an overwhelming majority of the public.
“Ministers should heed the calls of many of their own MPs and get around the table with WASPI women, or face being forced to defend the indefensible in court later this year.”
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UK Government lawyers are also set to appear before High Court judges later this year, after WASPI campaigners secured a judicial review into the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) State Pension age compensation decision.
If successful, the case could see ministers forced back to the drawing board on their response to the final report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), published in March 2024.
The PHSO suggested compensation ranging between £1,000 and £2,950 could be appropriate for those affected by State Pension age changes.
But in December 2024, the UK Government said that, while it accepted the Ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and apologised for there being a delay in writing to 1950s-born women, a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost taxpayers up to £10.5 billion, cannot be justified.