Labour MPs say not compensating Waspi women undermines trust in politics
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Labour MPs have told the Government the decision not to award compensation to women affected by changes in the pension age will undermine trust in politics and would be “abandoning” them. A parliamentary debate heard MPs had pledged to help women born in the 1950s, whose pension age had risen, to get financial redress during last year’s general election campaign.
Millions of women were affected by the change, first announced in the 1990s, to bring their retirement age in line with men. This was later accelerated under the coalition government, over a decade ago. However, there was a 28-month delay writing to inform them of the changes.
Campaigners, led by the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group, have claimed women suffered financial hardship and had to rethink retirement plans. A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) last year recommended the Government pay compensation to women as a result of the delay in them being informed of the changes.
Yet Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told the Commons that the Government would not be offering payments, as it could not afford the £10.5 billion bill. However Jonathan Brash (Hartlepool) told a Westminster Hall debate that the issue was a “profound injustice” for those affected.
Mr Brash said: “The role of a member of Parliament is not to offer unquestioning subservience to their party. When something is wrong, they have a duty to say so. “I cannot and will not abandon these women. As a candidate I stood beside them, I held their banners aloft, I pledged their support, I told the Waspi women of Hartlepool that I would always stand by them. That commitment does not and must not end with an election.”.
