Scotland's First Minister John Swinney has launched a scathing attack on the UK Government, branding its refusal to compensate women affected by state pension age changes as "another betrayal" from Labour. The controversy centres on the so-called Waspi women – Women Against State Pension Inequality – who have campaigned for years for redress after losing out financially.
Government Rejects Compensation Scheme
UK Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden informed the House of Commons that establishing a targeted compensation programme would "not be practical" for the millions of women impacted. He revealed that a broader, flat-rate compensation scheme could potentially cost taxpayers up to £10.3 billion, a figure that has sparked intense political debate.
Mr McFadden defended the decision by stating that "the vast majority of 1950s-born women already knew the state pension age was increasing" due to extensive public information campaigns. These included leaflets, education initiatives, information displayed in GP surgeries, television and radio broadcasts, cinema advertisements, and online resources.
Verification Challenges Cited
The Work and Pensions Secretary elaborated on the practical difficulties, explaining that "to specifically compensate only those women who suffered injustice would require a scheme that could reliably verify the individual circumstances of millions of women." He argued that a wider compensation scheme "would simply not be right or fair, given it would be paid to the vast majority who were aware of the changes."
This announcement follows a review of the original decision not to offer payouts, with the current government reaching the same conclusion as former Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall did in December 2024.
Scottish Political Outrage
At First Minister's Questions in Holyrood, SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson – who chairs the Scottish Parliament's Finance Committee – condemned the Labour government's stance as "a new low even for them." Mr Swinney responded with strong criticism, stating: "I think this is deeply regrettable that there is no compensation going to be in place for the Waspi women."
The First Minister added: "These women were promised, in good faith, that the Labour Party would address when they got into government this historic injustice and it is just another example of the betrayal of individuals in this country by this Labour Government."
Accusations of Electoral Deception
Kirsty Blackman MP, the SNP's work and pensions spokesperson at Westminster, delivered particularly harsh criticism. She asserted that Thursday's announcement "confirms what many of us already knew and feared – Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar cynically lied to the Waspi women to win votes at the last general election."
Ms Blackman elaborated: "Before the last general election, Sir Keir Starmer promised to compensate the Waspi women with Labour Party politicians lined up behind Waspi placards and pledges; only to sit on their hands when they could actually do something about it. It's no wonder so many have lost faith in the Westminster political establishment."
Campaigners Express Fury
Angela Madden, chairwoman of Women Against State Pension Inequality, accused the Government of treating 1950s-born women with "utter contempt." The Waspi campaign has fought tirelessly for affected women to receive compensation for what they argue was inadequate notice about pension age changes.
Ms Blackman insisted: "Waspi women deserve so much better, they deserve fair and fast compensation." With Scottish Parliament elections approaching in May, she warned that women who had lost out financially, along with their supporters, would "not forget that blatant broken promise from Keir Starmer's Labour Party."
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between the Scottish and UK governments over social justice issues, with pension policy becoming the latest battleground in a broader political conflict about intergenerational fairness and government accountability.
