WASPI women support soars ahead of State Pension age compensation debate and vote this week
A new survey of more than 2,000 people suggests that the British public overwhelmingly backs compensation for 1950s-born women affected by State Pension age changes. Nearly 70 per cent of people said successive UK Governments ‘got it wrong’, and that ministers should urgently pay ‘fair and fast compensation’ to millions of WASPI women (Women Against State Pension Inequality).
Six weeks on from the publication of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) final report on March 21 - which recommended compensation for women impacted by increases to the State Pension age - WASPI campaigners giving evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee last week said that ministers had "gone into hiding" over their failure to announce plans to provide financial redress.
Two-thirds of the public (65%) also said that the main political parties should put a commitment to paying compensation in their manifestos if the issue is not resolved before the next election.
Of those expressing an opinion, just 21 per cent said they trust Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to deliver compensation, while only 40 per cent trust Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to do the same.
WASPI have warned that continued delays could see more women dying before they receive justice, highlighting how one woman dies every 13 minutes. The campaigners believe that more than 5,500 women have died since the release of the Ombudsman’s report in March.
Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), said: “The public have put both main parties on notice. Unless they make a firm commitment to compensation, they will be dangerously out of step with public opinion.
“Ministers seem to have gone into hiding and Labour have yet to make their position clear. With one woman dying every 13 minutes, WASPI women simply cannot afford to wait any longer.
“We’re calling on the government to enable MPs to vote on a compensation package before the summer, and before an election. The millions of women who’ve been betrayed by successive governments deserve nothing less.”
PHSO recommendations
After a six-year investigation, the PHSO published its final report on March 21 which said that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to adequately communicate changes to women’s State Pension age, and those affected are owed compensation.
As a result of its findings, the Ombudsman has asked Parliament to intervene and “act swiftly” to make sure a compensation scheme is established.
The PHSO recommended compensation equivalent to Level 4 on its banding scale - between £1,000 and £2,950, however, the WASPI campaign and some MPS, including the SNP’s Alan Brown, are keen to see the highest level of compensation awarded (Level six) - which starts at £10,000.
State Pension compensation debate in Parliament this week
A debate and vote on State Pension age compensation, brought about by SNP MP Patricia Gibson, will take place in Parliament on Thursday, May 16.
The North Ayrshire and Arran MP presented an Early Day Motion to the Backbench Business Committee last month, hoping that the debate will at least reach an agreement, through a vote, that redress should be made to those women impacted by the changes.
Ms Gibson has urged followers on social media to ask their MP to attend the debate.
Another SNP MP, Alan Brown, is due to have the second reading of his State Pension Age (Compensation) Bill heard on Friday, May 17 - this was supposed to take place in April.
This means there are two days back-to-back in Parliament with time set aside specifically for State Pension age compensation debates.
Both scheduled events can be watched on Parliament TV.