WASPI campaign gets huge boost from major backer in new update | Personal Finance | Finance
Waspi women fighting state pension inequality were handed a major boost after one of the UK’s largest trade unions threw its weight behind the group’s ongoing battle against the Government. Members of Unison showed their backing by voting overwhelmingly in favour of a motion in support of paying them compensation.
Waspi claimed women born in the 1950s are owed cash for not being given “adequate notice” about the State Pension age rising sharply. At Unison’s national conference in Liverpool, which began on June 18, the union called on its members to support Waspi after Labour late last year broke its promise to pay compensation. This was despite a recommendation in March 2024 – when Sir Keir Starmer’s party was in opposition – from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to pay those affected between £1,000 and £2,900.
Its investigation blamed “maladministration” on part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for not notifying the women about the pension age increase sooner rather than later.
Waspi also claimed that as many as 3.6 million women were affected by the skyrocketing pension age.
Speaking at Unison’s conference, Rosie McGregor, a member of the union’s retired members board, said: “Millions of women have been clinging to the hope that they would finally be awarded the compensation that they deserve.
“It’s deeply disturbing to say that the Government decided not to accept the recommendations of the Parliamentary Ombudsman and delay compensation to thousands of women affected.”
After the motion passed unanimously, Waspi praised the union for showing its support for their campaign.
Angela Madden, Waspi chair, said: “We are grateful to Unison members who voted overwhelming to reaffirm their support for compensating Waspi women.
“They stand alongside other major trade unions, hundreds of MPs and millions of people up and down the country who want the Government to think again and to urgently deliver justice to a generation of women who have been so badly let down by the state.
“With the Government soon to be forced to defend the indefensible in court, ministers would be wise to heed their calls and announce plans to compensate Waspi women as quickly as possible.”
Josie Irwin, Unison’s head of equality, said: “A generation of women has suffered financially because of a government error. Their hopes of compensation have been dashed. Many have already died, but there are plenty more who still need the money they rightly expected to receive on retirement.
“The Government must find a way to resolve this desperately unfair situation. A refusal to pay compensation is not the answer and Unison will continue to press the Government to change its mind.”
News of Unison’s support came a week after the High Court agreed to undertake a judicial review of the decision not to pay compensation. Its crowdfunding campaign to pay for the case has so far raised nearly £219,000.
Last December, Labour backtracked on its promise to fulfill the ombudsman’s recommendations to pay compensation, a decision that former party leader Jeremy Corbyn called “beyond disappointing”.
Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall defended the decision at the time, saying: “Given the vast majority of women knew the State Pension age was increasing, the Government does not believe paying a flat rate to all women at a cost of up to £10.5 billion would be a fair or proportionate use of taxpayers’ money.”
In response to Unison’s motion, a DWP spokesperson said: “We have 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.”
