Waspi campaigners prepare for fresh legal action - 'we will not give up'
Campaigners argue that Labour's recent local election losses should serve as a "warning", with Waspi women and their families representing a significant voting bloc in marginal seats.
Waspi campaigners have confirmed plans to proceed with fresh legal action against the Government. Campaigners also argued that Labour’s recent local election wipeout should serve as a warning, with Waspi women and their families representing a significant voting bloc in marginal seats.
In January, women affected by the way changes to the state pension age were communicated were told for a second time that they would not receive compensation. Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality), which has long campaigned for compensation, said in March that lawyers would raise “legal errors” with the Government and give its lawyers 14 days to respond. Angela Madden, chair of the Waspi campaign, said: “We will not be ignored and we will not give up this fight.”
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WASPI women, born in the 1950s, campaign against changes made to the state pension age, which they believe have unfairly affected them.
They argue that the changes were not properly communicated, leaving around 3.6 million women unprepared and requiring them to adjust their retirement plans.
In 2024, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommended compensation ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 for those affected. However, it could not enforce the payment, and the Government rejected the recommendation.
While it accepted that "individual letters about changes to the state pension age could have been sent earlier", the Government argued that women "did not suffer any direct financial losses".
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Ms Madden said: "The Government has had every opportunity to do the right thing for Waspi women. Instead, they have made a political choice that risks alienating voters in hundreds of marginal seats across the country.”
She said that after recent Labour local election losses, “the party now has a clear choice: listen to Waspi women and compensate them fairly, or face the consequences at the next General Election.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said in March: “The Secretary of State set out the Government’s position in his oral statement to Parliament, including acceptance of maladministration and apology to the women affected.
“Our focus now is on delivering an action plan to implement lessons learned in how DWP communicates state pension matters going forward.”
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