Campaigners representing millions of women born in the 1950s are entering a final, critical 72-hour countdown before a major legal showdown with the government over denied compensation.
High Court Showdown Set for This Week
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign will have its case heard at the High Court on December 9 and 10. This judicial review seeks to overturn a decision by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Labour government, announced at the end of last year, to refuse payouts to the affected women.
The legal challenge centres on the government's rejection of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's (PHSO) findings. The Ombudsman had ruled that the women suffered injustice due to maladministration in how changes to their state pension age were communicated.
Ombudsman's Ruling Versus Government Stance
The PHSO recommended that Parliament should intervene to secure compensation, suggesting payments of between £1,000 and £2,950 for each woman impacted. The watchdog found the DWP guilty of maladministration for a 28-month delay in informing these women about significant changes to their pensionable age.
While the DWP has apologised for this delay, it has firmly rejected the proposed remedy. A government spokesperson stated: "We accept the Ombudsman’s finding of maladministration... However, we do not agree with the Ombudsman’s approach to injustice or remedy and that is why we have decided not to pay compensation."
An Uncertain Path Forward
Angela Madden, Chair of the WASPI campaign, highlighted the precarious nature of the battle ahead. Even if the campaigners succeed in having the government's decision ruled unlawful, it does not automatically guarantee compensation.
"They certainly can't use the same reasons from before because those reasons will have been deemed as unlawful," Madden said. "They can't just do it again. But they could review the report yet again and come up with something completely different."
The DWP has declined to comment on the specifics of the live litigation. The outcome of this week's hearing will determine the next phase in a long-running campaign for justice, watched closely by an estimated 3.8 million women across the UK.
