WASPI battle 'could force change in compensation decision' over payouts

A financial expert has suggested that the government may be forced to reconsider its stance over WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) compensation payouts. It comes in the wake of last month's ruling by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The money specialist, Pete Mugleston, who is also the Managing Director at www.onlinemoneyadvisor.co.uk, was quoted in the Daily Express saying: "The Government's initial stance suggested a reluctance to comply with the compensation recommendations, citing budgetary constraints and differing interpretations of the law."

Mugleston went on to comment on the potential influence of persistent advocacy groups such as WASPI: "However, public and parliamentary pressure, as well as continued advocacy from groups like WASPI, could influence a change in position. We could also see some movement on this in the upcoming election as neither party will want to alienate WASPI pensioners ahead of the vote."

READ MORE: Use WASPI calculator to see if you can claim up to £2,950 compensation

Meanwhile, Andrew Gosselin, senior editor at The Calcutor Site, gave his views on the difficulties of arranging these repayments, stating: "The Ombudsman's report confirmed that they should be paid, but making that happen will be very hard. You need to carefully look at each person's situation, such as how much longer they had to work, any extra costs or debts they racked up, and even any health effects that broke that promise. It needs to be complete and fair.

"I'm not holding my breath, though, for that compensation to show up. From what I've seen, the Government takes a very long time to do things like this.", reports Birmingham Live.

DWP minister and pensions MP Mel Stride appeared on ITV Good Morning Britain with an update earlier this week. Mr Stride was dialled in via video link and asked by former Labour MP and guest host Ed Balls about when a decision may come on providing compensation.

But he refused to set out a timetable for making a decision while on the daily show. He said: "There'll be no undue delay in us coming forward, but I do want to have sufficient time. There are very strong feelings about this on all sides of the argument as to whether conversation should be paid or not. And I do want to make sure that we get that judgment right."

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