The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has once again ruled out compensation for Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaigners, following the Ombudsman's recommendation of payouts worth up to £2,950 for historic state pension injustices.
On Tuesday, June 9, the DWP confirmed it would not introduce a financial compensation scheme for women affected by delays in receiving State Pension age letters. In a statement, the DWP said: 'We have decided against introducing financial compensation for women affected by the delay in sending out State Pension age letters. Introducing a financial compensation scheme is neither fair nor feasible and would not represent good value for taxpayers, and, as a consequence, one will not be set up.'
Legal Action Continues
WASPI campaigners have confirmed they are proceeding with fresh legal action against the government, following local elections in which Labour lost nearly 1,500 council seats. The new legal challenge follows the Labour government's rejection of the Ombudsman's findings of maladministration and proposals for compensation.
The WASPI legal team has sent a judicial review pre-action protocol letter, citing 'multiple legal errors' in the government's response to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. The government's reply failed to address WASPI concerns, paving the way for a return to the High Court. However, the campaign continues to urge the government to reconsider its stance.
Political and Public Support
Dozens of Labour Party backbenchers have broken ranks to support compensation. Research indicates that 72% of the voting public support compensation for WASPI women affected by the DWP's proven maladministration.
Angela Madden, chair of the WASPI campaign, 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. Labour MPs have seen the electoral data. They know Waspi women have the numbers to unseat them. Yet ministers continue to ignore the independent Ombudsman, their own backbenchers, and millions of voters. After losing nearly 1,500 seats in the recent local elections, the party now has a clear choice: listen to Waspi women and compensate them fairly, or face the consequences at the next general election. We will not be ignored, and we will not give up this fight.'
