New update for WASPI women ahead of Autumn Budget due later this month

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has announced that a demonstration will take place in Parliament Square on Wednesday, October 30 to coincide with the Labour Government’s Autumn Budget. The House of Commons will be packed with MPs from across Great Britain to hear Chancellor Rachel Reeves deliver her first Budget as Chancellor.

WASPI campaigners will be demonstrating between 12 and 3pm and calling for compensation for the estimated 3.8 million women born in the 1950s impacted by changes to their State Pension age. The ‘WASPI can’t wait - compensate’ demo is the latest move by campaigners to keep the focus on a compensation plan, which was recommended by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) in its final report, published on March 21.

Despite several calls for a redress proposal from dozens of cross-party MPs over the last six months - including several Labour MPs while in Opposition, no proposals have been put forward to Parliament.

Last month, WASPI representatives, including Chair, Angela Madden, met with the Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds.

Ms Madden said the meeting, a first between the DWP and WASPI was “the start of something” on the ongoing fight for ‘fair and fast compensation’ for those affected by the rise in retirement age.

The meeting was held in private at Westminster, however, curing an appearance on BBC Breakfast shortly after, Ms Madden explained how the campaign for compensation has been going for nearly 10 years and will continue to run for justice for all women affected by changes to their State Pension age.

It’s been a challenging time for the campaign waiting on any progress due to the parliamentary summer recess and now the party conference recess. Parliamentary business is due to resume on Monday, October 7 and will begin with DWP oral questions in the Commons.

While the focus will undoubtedly be on the eligibility rule change to Winter Fuel Payments, it seems likely that at least one MP will raise the issues of State Pension redress for 1950s-born women.

Last month, Conservative MP Sir John Hayes urged the DWP to consider creating a “hardship fund for women affected by the change to the State Pension age”. However, the Pensions Minister said that the “best way to support people, including women who have been affected by the change to the State Pension Age is to help them to retrain, return to or progress in work”.

In a written response to Sir John earlier this week, she added: “For those women who are unable to work but who are not eligible for pensioner benefits because of their age, financial support is still available through the welfare system.”

State Pension age compensation in a nutshell

The Ombudsman found that the DWP had been guilty of ‘maladministration’ by failing to let women know that their State Pension age was due to increase from 60 to 65, then 66.

Based on current Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, an estimated 3.5 million 1950s-born women have been affected by increases to the official age of retirement.

The PHSO report stated that “Parliament must urgently identify a mechanism for providing that appropriate remedy” and recommended compensation equivalent to Level four on its banding scale, which is worth between £1,000 and £2,950.

Early Day Motion

The deputy leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Wendy Chamberlain MP, tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) on July 17, which has been signed by 90 MPs in total - the majority being Lib Dems.

It reads: "That this House notes with concern the losses borne by 1950s women as a result of maladministration by the Department for Work and Pensions; welcomes the findings of the independent inquiry of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman; further notes that on average over 100 1950s born women die daily, many of whom have suffered losses and die without compensation; and urges the Government to honour the recommendations of the Ombudsman, and come forward with a proper plan to compensate these women."