More than 20,000 people have called on the new PM to make a dramatic U-turn and compensate women whose pension age was lifted unexpectedly - leaving them tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket.
Both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak sparked anger on the campaign trail when they refused to promise to resolve the ongoing dispute - which Boris Johnson had pledged to fix during his premiership.
A stinging letter has branded the government's lack of action "unforgivable" after the state pension age was lifted from 60 to 65 and then 66 without giving women time to plan.
Members of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign have called on Ms Truss and Ms Sunak to rethink and help an estimated 3.6 million women born in the 1950s impacted by the shake-up.
Leaders say an affected woman dies every 14 minutes without seeing justice, and says hundreds of thousands are approaching old age "with a feeling of fear and trepidation".
At a campaign event in Cardiff, Mr Sunak said he "cannot promise you I'm going to suddenly radically change my mind", while Ms Truss told voter Patricia Morgan at a televised debate last month that it "would be very difficult to go back".
After collecting the huge volume of signatures, campaign chair Angela Madden told The Mirror: “We are not surprised by the reaction to our open letter – it reflects the strength of support that we know exists for fair, fast compensation for WASPI women.
"What began as a call to action for our immediate members has resulted in an unprecedented outpouring of support. We even crashed the open letter site!
“People have been sharing heart-rending personal stories about the financial and emotional impact of the DWP’s maladministration."
She added: "Many WASPI women are still feeling the impacts of having their retirement plans shattered with next to no notice to this day, and many are approaching old age with a feeling of fear and trepidation as the cost of living crisis spirals.
“Time after time the Johnson Government has batted away our requests to meet, and it has now got to the point that thousands of WASPI women are dying each year waiting for justice.
“We urge the new Prime Minister to break this cycle and make good on their pledge to protect the most vulnerable in society. Please open a dialogue with our organisation before it is too late”.
The letter calls out the Johnson government for its persistent failure to engage with WASPI women, and accuses Pensions Minister Guy Opperman of “resolutely refusing” to discuss the issues with them.
Back in July 2019, during his leadership campaign, Mr Johnson said he would "commit to doing everything I possibly can to sorting out" the issue - but is set to leave office without a resolution.
On Monday his successor will be announced, and they face calls to immediately deal with the dispute.
The WASPI campaign letter states: " Every 14 minutes another of us dies waiting for justice. Yet our campaign is falling on deaf ears in Whitehall.
"The present Pensions Minister resolutely refuses to discuss any of this with us, summarily dismissing our letters, and requests to meet from Members of Parliament."
And it says: " As a group of older women, who have contributed much to our country and continue to do so, we regard the previous cabinet’s approach to us as unforgivable."
Many women born in the 1950s were initially told they would retire at the age of 60 , until the government U-turned in 1995.
That year, the Department for Work and Pensions raised the pension age to 65, and in 2011, the government sped up the process - with those born in the mid-50s told they have had to wait until their 66th birthday.
Campaigners estimate that the average affected woman lost up to £50,000 in State Pension after the retirement age was upped to 65, and then 66.
In July last year the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was guilty of "maladministration" for failing to give those impacted prior notice of the change.
A spokesman from the DWP said: "The Ombudsman investigation is still ongoing, there hasn’t been a ruling. The Ombudsman has so far only released the findings of the first stage of its investigation.
"They have not published their final report nor have recommendations been issued regarding compensation, so it would be wrong to claim compensation or other forms of official redress are currently outstanding or overdue."
The letter in full
Dear Prime Minister,
We write to ask that you commit the new government you form to resolving a long-running injustice, without further delay.
More than a year ago, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had been guilty of maladministration in communicating changes to the State Pension age to women born in the 1950s.
“The opportunity that additional notice would have given [women] to adjust their retirement plans was lost,” the Ombudsman found. The PHSO has since encouraged the Department for Work and Pensions to be “proactive” in finding a remedy.
Women in this age group need to see these proactive steps from government immediately. Every 14 minutes another of us dies waiting for justice. Yet our campaign is falling on deaf ears in Whitehall.
The present Pensions Minister resolutely refuses to discuss any of this with us, summarily dismissing our letters, and requests to meet from Members of Parliament.
Far from engaging us, ministers persistently and – we worry – wilfully misrepresent our position, claiming that we are seeking restitution of the State Pension age to 60, or that we wish to recoup ‘lost pensions’ in full. Media statements from government also imply that the campaign group WASPI are challenging the legality of changes to the State Pension Age.
None of these things is true. Our simple, pragmatic ask is that ministers open a dialogue with us about a one-off compensation payment to make up for the financial loss and emotional trauma caused to women born in the 1950s, because of the maladministration at the DWP.
As a group of older women, who have contributed much to our country and continue to do so, we regard the previous cabinet’s approach to us as unforgivable.
We are, however, hopeful that as the new Prime Minister you will take a more constructive and respectful position. Will you commit publicly to meeting us on this issue, and to finding a fair remedy?
