THE Labour Government will not pay any compensation to Waspi women, it has been confirmed.
Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told the Commons that the proposed payment scheme was not “fair or value for taxpayers’ money”.
The 1995 Pensions Act and subsequent legislation raised the state pension age for women born on or after April 6 1950.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) investigated complaints that, since 1995, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information about areas of state pension reform.
It recommended compensation at a level of between £1000 and £2950 per person, as well as saying the DWP should acknowledge its failings and apologise.
Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Kendall said that she did apologise on behalf of the Government for “maladministration” which led to a delay in letters outlining the changes being sent to the affected women.
However, she said that “even if we had sent the letters it wouldn’t have made a difference for most”.
“Decisions made between 2005 and 2007 led to a 28-month delay in sending out letters to women born in the 1950s,” Kendall said.
“The ombudsman says these delays did not result in the women suffering direct financial loss, but they were maladministration.
“We accept that the 28-month delay in sending out letters was maladministration and on behalf of the government, I apologise.”
She went on: “However, we do not agree that sending letters earlier would have had the impact that the ombudsman says.
“Research given to the ombudsman shows only around a quarter of people who are sent unsolicited letters actually remember receiving them or reading them. So we cannot accept that in the great majority of cases, sending a letter earlier would have affected where women knew their state pension age was rising or would have increased their opportunities to make informed decisions.
“These two facts – that most women knew the state pension age was increasing and that letters aren't as significant as the ombudsman says, as well as other reasons – have informed our conclusion that there should be no scheme of financial compensation to 1950s-born women.”
LibDem MP Steve Darling called it a "betrayal of Waspi women" and accused Labour of taking a "pick and mix" approach to the ombudsman's report.
Scottish Labour MP Brian Leishman said he was “appalled” at the decision not to pay compensation.
“I have campaigned with Waspi women, as have many parliamentary colleagues, and this is an incredible let-down,” he said.
“Waspi women in my opinion certainly do not need words of disappointment and they certainly do not need hollow statements. What they need is justice.”
On social media, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn shared an image of Kendall previously campaigning alongside Waspi woman.
This Labour Secretary of State is currently stating that her Government will not provide any financial compensation to the WASPI women. They are shameless. pic.twitter.com/33MCGRCpSC
— Stephen Flynn MP (@StephenFlynnSNP) December 17, 2024
He wrote: "This Labour Secretary of State is currently stating that her Government will not provide any financial compensation to the WASPI women.
"They are shameless."
Angela Madden, the chair of the Waspi campaign, said: “The Government has today made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate Waspi women nine months ago.
“This is a bizarre and totally unjustified move which will leave everyone asking what the point of an ombudsman is if ministers can simply ignore their decisions. It feels like a decision that would make the likes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump blush.
“The idea that an ‘action plan’ to avoid such mistakes in future should be the result of a six-year ombudsman’s investigation is an insult both to the women and to the PHSO process.
“An overwhelming majority of MPs back Waspi’s calls for fair compensation and all options remain on the table. Parliament must now seek an alternative mechanism to force this issue on to the order paper so justice can be done.”
