WASPI MP blasts Government for ‘wrong priorities’ | Personal Finance | Finance
An MP backing the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) cause has called for 1950s-born women to get the compensation “they are rightly owed”. Liberal Democrat MP Ben Maguire spoke during a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, October 21, about Labour’s plans to bring in digital ID. He had just come from meeting the WASPI campaigners as they were holding a drop-in event in Parliament.
MPs were debating the merits and costs of bringing in digital ID, with SNP MP Pete Wishart citing estimates that setting up hte scheme could cost between £1.2billion and £2billion, although Mr Wishart said this is a “gross underestimate”. Mr Maguire said: “I have just come from a meeting with WASPI women here in Parliament who are asking for £3 billion in compensation, which they are rightly owed.
“The Government have said that they do not have that money yet here we are: they have pulled £2 billion out of the hat.”
He went on to say that “the priorities are really wrong here”.
WASPI is one of several campaign groups who represent the 1950s-born generation of women affected when the state pension age for women increased from 60 to 65, and then 66. They claim the DWP did not properly inform them of the change, with many of the women unaware right up to the last minute, ruining their retirement plans.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman looked into the issue and concluded the DWP should have written to the women sooner to tell them of the change. The watchdog also proposed the women should get compensation ranging from £1,000 to £2,950.
But the DWP announced at the end of last year there would be no payouts. Previous estimates suggested providing compensation would cost between £3.5 billion and £10 billion. When the Government announced its decision, it said having a blanket compensation scheme would cost up to £10.5 billion and such an expense “cannot be justified”, arguing that most of the women did know their state pension age was going up.
Judicial review under way
WASPI has now applied for a judicial review of the DWP‘s decision, which the High Court will hear in December. Both sides have presented their initial case ahead of the two days in court.
WASPI campaign chairwoman Angela Madden said she is confident the high court will overturn the DWP‘s decision. She said: “We are not deterred by any of the evidence that we have seen [from the DWP]. The lawyers have identified further flaws in the DWP‘s decision, and we’ve applied to the court for permission to argue them as part of our case. We are as confident as we were before we saw all the detailed evidence.”
On the question of the costs of rolling out digital ID, the Government has yet to set out any estimates. In announcing the plans, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Digital ID is an enormous opportunity for the UK. It will make it tougher to work illegally in this country, making our borders more secure.
“And it will also offer ordinary citizens countless benefits, like being able to prove your identity to access key services swiftly – rather than hunting around for an old utility bill. We are doing the hard graft to deliver a fairer Britain for those who want to see change, not division. That is at the heart of our Plan for Change, which is focused on delivering for those who want to see their communities thrive again.”
The judicial review of the DWP‘s decision will be heard at the high court on December 9 and 10.
