WASPI women may hear compensation update ‘soon’ as Labour faces calls | Personal Finance | Finance
Women born in the 1950s who have been impacted by the alterations to their State Pension age may be on the cusp of at last receiving updates regarding compensation from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), with Labour running out of time before the Christmas recess to give their verdict. Key figures such as the Prime Minister and DWP chief Liz Kendall have hinted that news on the government’s consideration of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) final report is expected “in the near future” and “soon”.
This has fuelled anticipation that a response to the report could take place during the upcoming DWP oral questions session in Parliament, scheduled for Monday, December 16. This parliamentary slot provides MPs the opportunity to raise queries related to the DWP, including any significant declarations.
Although Labour politicians have dragged their feet on giving a date for when these women will get answers, particularly as they try to fix the nation’s daunting “£22 billion black hole”, pressure is mounting to finally address the compensation matter. Activists from the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign continue to await an official response to their popular petition, which garnered over 120,000 signatures.
Meanwhile, opposition parties continue to urge the government for a resolution to the issue. With parliament due to adjourn for the winter recess by the end of next week, time is ticking for the government to deliver its response.
In November, during his G20 summit visit in Brazil, Sir Keir Starmer suggested to reporters that a compensation update for WASPI women was on the horizon. He hinted that Kendall would be announcing developments “in the not too distant future”.
The WASPI campaign’s online appeal continues to attract momentum, now having secured over 124,000 supporters. This crusade calls on the UK Government to compensate 1950s-born women who’ve suffered due to shifts in the State Pension age and further demands a swift reaction to recommended changes proposed by the PHSO.
Yet, with the call-to-action surpassing the 100,000-signature threshold more than a week ago, prospects for a parliamentary debate seem closer as the Petitions Committee weighs the option, reports the Daily Record. Just last week, a joint force of SNPs, Liberal Democrats, and Greens stood alongside other opposition entities, delivering a communiqué to Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, seeking pressing details on the scheme intended for rectification.
Prominent political figures, including the SNP‘s Stephen Flynn, Lib Dem supremo Sir Ed Davey, and Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer, are throwing their weight behind the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign, demanding immediate and fair compensation. The campaigners argue that over 3.5 million women born in the 1950s were left in the lurch when the UK Government botched the job of informing them about steep increases to their State Pension age.
Activists claim some women were forced to wait up to six more years, resulting in tens of thousands spiralling into poverty. A cross-party letter was sent to top government officials on Thursday morning, urgently requesting a briefing on the WASPI compensation plans, with a plea for a ministerial response before Parliament breaks for Christmas on 19 December.
The letter insists: “We urge you to update Parliament on your progress in responding to the PHSO’s report before the Christmas recess, setting out the likely scope of any compensation scheme and when it will commence.”
It also points out that since the PHSO’s final report in March 2024, over 25,000 women affected by the changed retirement age have passed away. The Ombudsman’s independent investigation determined that the women should have received at least 28 months’ extra personal notice from the DWP about the changes to their State Pension age.
The report underscored that women caught unawares by the pension age changes missed opportunities to adjust their retirement strategies due to postponements. It firmly stated, “Parliament must urgently identify a mechanism for providing that appropriate remedy” and proposed compensation at Level four on its scale, ranging from £1,000 to £2,950.
The letter demanding action, signed by cross-party members, has been sent to the Chancellor and Work and Pensions Secretary. The DWP oral questions session is scheduled for 2:30 pm on Monday, December 16, with live coverage available on Parliament TV.
