Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss compensation for the estimated 3.5 million women affected by changes to the State Pension age. The campaign group urges Burnham to honour a commitment made during the Makerfield by-election campaign.
Commitment on the campaign trail
In the letter, WASPI chair Angela Madden refers to assurances Burnham gave before the election on June 18, when he said he was committed to meeting campaigners to discuss the issue. WASPI said it wants to work constructively with the new UK Government to develop a compensation scheme that is fair to both affected women and taxpayers.
WASPI represents women born in the 1950s who say they were not given enough notice of increases to their State Pension age, leaving many without sufficient time to adjust their retirement plans.
Call for redress
Angela 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," she added.
Background of the campaign
The campaign said it remained "absolutely determined" to work with ministers to find a solution that is fair to both affected women and the taxpayer. The issue has remained a source of political debate since the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) concluded that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was guilty of maladministration in the way it communicated State Pension age changes to some women born in the 1950s.
The Ombudsman recommended compensation, but the previous Labour government decided not to introduce a compensation scheme. WASPI says it believes early discussions with the Chancellor would help identify compensation options that are affordable while delivering what it describes as fair redress.
