Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) is demanding action from Andy Burnham over the state pension row. The campaign group argues that women born in the 1950s should be compensated for receiving inadequate notice of a change in the law in 1995 that increased their state pension age from 60 to 65.
WASPI's statement
The WASPI campaign group posted a statement on social media, saying: "When WASPI met Andy Burnham before his election he promised to meet with us to discuss proper redress for the DWP maladministration and the harm it caused. No more delay. We want a date and a fair settlement."
Their statement continued: "Words don't change anything. Action does. Andy Burnham knows WASPI women were failed. He is now the one person who can put this right. We were promised a meeting. No more delay - we want a date, and a fair settlement."
Background
This comes after Sir Keir Starmer's government cut off demands from the group, most recently ruling out payments in January this year. During the Makerfield campaign, the prime minister ruled out compensating the group, resulting in the group retaliating.
He said he was "uncomfortable" with the way some politicians had expressed support for the campaign but then failed to deliver. He said the women "deserve some recompense for the unfairness", which was seen as a hint that he might revisit compensation if he became Prime Minister.
But he later rowed back, with a spokesperson saying Mr Burnham accepts the decision not to award compensation to the group is final.
Burnham's promise
At a hustings event hosted by the Manchester Evening News at Winstanley College on June 10, the Labour candidate, in response to a question from WASPI campaigner Jan Fulster, said: "I have long supported the campaign and I feel uncomfortable when politicians were all holding up that banner and then got into government and didn’t do anything. I stick by the campaigns that I support. I stuck by the Hillsborough families and I will stick by the WASPI women because they deserve some recompense for the unfairness."
