The leader of the long-running Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has issued a stark warning to the government, declaring that supporters are "stronger than ever" and fully prepared for a renewed court clash in the coming year.
Campaign Ready for Legal Showdown
Angela Madden, the 71-year-old chair of the WASPI campaign, told The Mirror that millions of women born in the 1950s remain resolute in their fight for compensation. This follows the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) agreeing to review its controversial decision to reject payouts, after new evidence from 2007 emerged.
Madden stated that only a full compensation scheme for the over 3.5 million affected women will be acceptable. "We will be ready again if we think the decision is unlawful," she said. "We're quite willing to go to court again." A planned judicial review in early December was paused pending the outcome of this government review.
Growing Fury and Support
Campaigners are still angered by the government's rejection of payouts, recommended by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which were estimated to be between £1,000 and £2,950 per woman. Madden estimates that one affected woman dies every 13 minutes without seeing justice.
Despite this, she reports that public backing is swelling, not diminishing. "I think our Facebook followers have gone up to about 165,000," Madden revealed, noting an increase of 35,000 in recent weeks. Paid membership has also grown, and a CrowdJustice fundraiser has exceeded its £270,000 target.
"The government didn't want to go to court because they knew their decision would have been found to be unlawful," Madden claimed. "We're getting more and more suspicious that they have made their mind up and nothing is going to change."
A Matter of Lived Experience and Broken Promises
The campaign stems from DWP failures to adequately communicate increases to the state pension age for women, leaving many unable to plan and plunging some into poverty. Madden, who retired early to care for her ill mother, emphasised this was a real-world injustice.
"It just would not happen to a less vulnerable group of people than we are," she argued. "We paid our taxes, we paid our National Insurance... And we have many, many young people who support WASPI because they know... they're going to be exactly where we are."
The issue has also become politically charged. While in opposition, Labour leader Keir Starmer signed a pledge supporting "fair and fast compensation," but has since argued a scheme costing £3.5bn to £10.5bn is not good use of public funds. A recent poll found 78% of respondents believe he has broken his word.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has cautioned that retaking the decision "should not be taken as an indication" compensation will be awarded. The DWP, which paid £180,000 in legal costs to avoid an immediate court hearing, is expected to announce its final decision by 24 February 2026.
