Waspi campaigners have confirmed they are launching fresh legal action against the Government over the way changes to the state pension age were communicated. The announcement by the Women Against State Pension Inequality group follows a January decision where affected women were told for a second time they would not receive compensation.
Legal Action Ahead
Angela Madden, chair of the Waspi campaign, stated: '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.' She warned that Labour's recent local election losses should serve as a warning, with Waspi women and their families representing a significant voting bloc.
Ms Madden added: 'We will not be ignored, and we will not give up this fight.' The campaigners say the Government has a choice to listen and compensate fairly or face consequences at the next general election.
Background of the Dispute
A previous decision not to offer redress was reviewed after the rediscovery of a 2007 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) evaluation, which had led officials to stop sending out automatic pension forecast letters. In March, Waspi said lawyers would raise 'legal errors' with the Government and gave its lawyers 14 days to respond.
A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has suggested compensation ranging between £1,000 and £2,950 could be appropriate for each affected woman.
Government Response
A DWP spokesperson said in March: 'The Secretary of State set out the Government's position in his oral statement to Parliament, including acceptance of maladministration and apology to the women affected. Our focus now is on delivering an action plan to implement lessons learned in how DWP communicates state pension matters going forward.'
