WASPI update over whether Andy Burnham would deliver DWP compensation | Personal Finance | Finance

Supporters of the WASPI campaign may wonder if their cause could be revived in Westminster should Andy Burnham become the next Prime Minister. The Government announced in January that there would be no compensation for the WASPI women(Women Against State Pension Inequality), but a new legal case is underway to dispute this.

The campaigners are continuing in their fight to get payouts for the generation of 1950s-born women who were impacted by the rise in their state pension age from 60 to 65 and then 66. They claim they were not properly informed of the changes with sufficient notice, with many retirement plans ruined when they found out.

An investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman concluded there was ‘maladministration’ by the DWP, as they should have written letters to the women sooner about their state pension age going up. The group suggested compensation ranging from £1,000 to £2,950.

Labour compensation decision

But Labour announced in January they would not provide any compensation, arguing that most women were aware of the change and that sending out letters sooner would have made little difference. WASPI is seeking to overturn this decision by applying for a judicial review.

But if Andy Burnham potentially becomes the new Prime Minister, there could be a new ray of hope for the campaign. He previously said that the Government’s decision not to grant compensation was wrong and that the Ombudsman’s finding should have been acted on.

However, he has since changed course on this. As reported by the Guardian, a spokesperson for Mr Burnham has said he would not provide compensation as he accepts the Government’s decision. They said he may consider “similar schemes on the Greater Manchester model”, where he provided WASPI women in the city-region with “early access to concessionary travel, providing some recompense to them within affordability limits”.

Significant financial impact

Hannah Martin, pensions expert and founder of Rich Retiree, said these travel discounts are unlikely to satisfy the WASPI campaigners. She said: “Somehow I don’t think ‘early access to concessionary travel’ will appease WASPI campaigners – especially given the significant financial impact on many of their members.

“It also falls short of what Andy Burnham has been stating WASPI women deserve. It remains to be seen what else Burnham might come up with.” Ms Martin said the prospective PM may need to take some decisive action unless he could go down as another leader who didn’t make good on his promises.

She said: “Given he’s publicly stated his support for the WASPI campaign, and criticised other politicians who ‘were all holding up that sort of banner and then…got into Government and didn’t do anything’, he needs to do something significant.

“If not, he risks being yet another Labour leader, like Starmer, who ‘didn’t do anything’ when he finally got into power.”