More than 331,000 Waspi women in Scotland, figures suggest
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More than 331,000 women in Scotland are estimated to have been impacted by changes to the state pension age for those born in the 1950s. Figures released by the House of Commons Library suggest there are 331,780 so-called Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women north of the border.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats, which requested the data, described the figure as “shocking”. It pledged to “fight for Waspi women” following the UK Government’s decision not to compensate them. Ahead of a debate at Holyrood on the issue, it called on UK ministers to change their minds.
The Scottish Government will also call for Waspi women to be compensated during the debate on Tuesday. About 3.6 million women in the UK 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 Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition government more than a decade ago.
However, there was a 28-month delay in 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.
