WASPI women suffer blow over DWP compensation payouts as another delay announced

WASPI campaigners have been dealt a setback as the bill concerning DWP compensation has been postponed. The proposed legislation, which aims to establish a compensation scheme for WASPI women, was initially slated for its second reading in Parliament today (April 19).

However, it has now been deferred to May 17. SNP MP Alan Brown expressed his frustration over the delay, stating: "I am disappointed I have had to reschedule the potential second reading of the bill. This is proof that the way Westminster operates with the Government of the day being able to dictate timings needs to be overhauled."

Mr Brown, who is advocating for the bill following the DWP's instruction to compensate women affected by past pension changes, remarked: "Like so many injustices created by Westminster, the lack of resolution for the 3.8 million WASPI-Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign-women is a disgrace."

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He highlighted the plight of the 3.8 million women who were abruptly informed that their state pension age would rise from 60 to 66 just before retirement, leaving them without sufficient time for financial planning. Many of these women were already suffering from health issues or had opted for early retirement, counting on receiving their state pension at 60, reports Birmingham Live.

"For nine years, this place has debated the matter, hearing harrowing individual stories, with many MPs, from across the Chamber, pledging they would do all they could to help those women. But for nine years the Government have ignored the plight of those women. They hoped the WASPI women would go away, but they have not, although, unfortunately, 40,000 are dying each year without getting any form of compensation, with some 240,000 having already, tragically, passed away without receiving compensation."

"For those now trying to make the best of their retirement, while facing a cost of living crisis, polling has established that half of WASPI women have struggled to pay essential bills in the past six months and, worse, a quarter have struggled to buy food. We know that this is an injustice; indeed, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman judged as far back as July 2021 that the Department for Work and Pensions was guilty of maladministration due to lack of direct communication. Yet here we are, still fighting for compensation."