AN SNP MP has raised concerns that the UK Government could be set to “sideline” Waspi campaigners as they continue their battle to receive compensation.
In 2011, the then Tory government accelerated the timetable to incrementally increase the qualifying age to receive a state pension.
However, the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group has consistently called for women impacted by this acceleration to be compensated for the government’s failure to provide adequate notice about the changes.
They say that many women were forced to work longer than they had planned or rely upon less money than they had expected.
Last month, SNP MP Graham Leadbitter wrote to Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds to urge the UK Government to pay out compensation to the women impacted.
Leadbitter’s call came after statistics showed that nearly 300,000 women potentially impacted by the changes had died since 2015.
An official report published by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in March found that “thousands of women may have been affected by DWP’s failure to adequately inform them that the state pension age had changed”.
The report recommended payouts of between £1000-£2950 for those impacted.
However, in her response to Leadbitter’s letter, Reynolds refused to commit to providing compensation.
“As a newly formed Government we will need time to review and consider the Ombudsman's report along with the evidence provided during the investigation,” she said.
“The issues outlined in the report are significant and complex, as such they require serious deliberation. Once this work has been undertaken, we will be in a position to outline our approach.”
Leadbitter said the reply showed Labour were failing to appreciate the urgency of the situation.
“This weak and dismissive response shows Labour could be set to sideline campaigners who’ve fought hard for nothing more than what they are due,” he said.
“This may be a different UK government, but it’s clear they’ve got the same Tory intentions – to ignore and cast aside the Waspi women.
“They’ve had years in opposition to consider the case of the Waspi women, who should be a central priority for them now that they control the pursestrings.
“Not long ago, Labour MPs and candidates were lining up to take photos alongside Waspi women. Now they’re in government they’re turning their backs on them.
“Since I wrote to the government in August, an estimated 1800 WASPI women have died, that’s on top of the nearly 300,000 since the campaign launched in 2015.
“Women can’t afford to wait any longer. Far too many have spent the last remaining years of their lives fighting for something they should never have been denied.
“I won’t allow Labour to shirk their responsibilities to these women. I’ll do everything I can in parliament to ensure the government pays up.”
