WASPI campaigners are urging Prime Minister Andy Burnham to meet with them after he pledged to solving the injustices faced by 1950s-born women.
In a letter sent on Tuesday, Waspi [Women Against State Pension Inequality] chief Angela Madden pressed the new Labour leadership to urgently hold talks with campaigners to ensure these women receive “fair redress”.
The campaign group was started up on behalf of 3.5 million women born in the 1950s who were affected by the Department for Work and Pensions’ historic failures to properly communicate increases to their state pension age.
Campaigners say this lack of adequate notice left many without sufficient time to make alternative arrangements for their retirement.
The Labour Government has twice rejected compensation for them despite mounting pressure following a damning report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman that recommend the women affected be given between £1000 and £2950 each.
The initial Labour decision not to offer redress was reviewed after the rediscovery of a 2007 Department for Work and Pensions evaluation, which at the time led to officials stopping sending out automatic pension forecast letters.
The Waspi campaign said in May it is pressing ahead with a new High Court fight after ministers ruled for the second time that compensation would not be paid.
Burnham met directly with campaigners during his by-election campaign and agreed to meet to discuss their fight for justice.
He also told a Manchester Evening News hustings he was uncomfortable with politicians who backed the campaign in opposition only to abandon them once in Government.
Madden said: “We were grateful to receive personal assurances from Andy during the Makerfield by-election that addressing this injustice was something he was committed to carrying out.
“While recognising the new Prime Minister has a long list of things to fix, we are now asking him, alongside the Chancellor, to make good on that promise, and to sit down with Waspi to determine what redress for 1950s-born women looks like.
“For far too long, Waspi women have been let down by governments of all colours and are understandably desperate to see this long-running injustice put right. Waspi, and millions of others, are hoping Andy can turn this around.
“Waspi has always been a pragmatic campaign and with a new operation in Downing Street, we are absolutely determined to find a solution that is fair to both affected women and the taxpayer.”
The letter says campaigners remain “absolutely determined” to win justice and are seeking to work collaboratively with ministers to develop a fair solution for both Waspi women and the public purse.
