The cause for compensation for the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) generation of women will be discussed in Parliament next week with a scheduled debate. The campaign for payouts took a blow last month when the Labour Government said it would not set up a compensation scheme.
These 1950s-born women saw their state pension age hike from 60 to 65, an alteration they argue was poorly relayed by the DWP, with many unaware of the key change, ruining their retirement plans. Hopes flickered following last year’s Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report which suggested compensation between £1,000 and £2,950.
But Labour’s pensions minister Liz Kendall said the Government was dismissing the idea prior to Christmas, saying it would be a poor use of public funds. WASPI campaigners have pledged to fight on, having previously secured backing from notable Labour figures such as Sir Stephen Timms and Debbie Abrahams.
They are also backed by the Liberal Democrats and SNP, with the Lib Dems currently having 72 seats in the Commons. MPs who advocate for compensation will soon voice their arguments, with a debate on “compensation for women affected by changes to the state pension age” set for January 15 in Westminster Hall.
Angela Madden, chair of WASPI, has called on MPs to participate in an upcoming debate, stating: “We are writing out to all the MPs who support us asking them to go along. I’m sure the independents will be there.”
She further commented on the significance of the debate, saying: “It will be good from this debate to gauge the mood of the house now. We know what the mood was on the 18th December when they announced there wasn’t going to be compensation. But people have had time to think about that, to let it sink in.”
Following the Government’s refusal to offer compensation, MPs launched two separate early day motions urging for the decision to be scrapped. One motion criticises the decision and demands “fair treatment” for the women, with 41 MPs signing it.
The other motion urges ministers to “reverse this decision”, gaining the support of 9 MPs. Public backing of the WASPI cause is also strong. A petition has had over 150,000 signatures demanding the Government to “fairly compensate” the affected women.