By James Rodger
Copyright birminghammail
The Labour Party government has issued an update over WASPI compensation as women continue to fight for £2,950 payouts from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ). Women are fighting for compensation following the Ombudsman report last year. But so far, no compensation has been forthcoming, with Labour refusing to administer financial remunerations for those impacted by the historic injustices. Edward Morello, Liberal Democrats MP for West Dorset, reached out in the Commons “to ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions he has has local stakeholders in response to Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s findings on WASPI women in West Dorset.” READ MORE UK households with white walls warned as epidemic starts to sweep England Torsten Bell replied: “No discussions have taken place in West Dorset. After careful consideration of the Ombudsman’s findings, we made our decision which was fair and based on the evidence. There is now live litigation on this matter.” The question came as Parliament returned following summer recess. WASPI began in 2015 and continues to fight for justice for all women born in the 1950s (on or after 6th April 1950 to 5th April 1960) affected by changes to the State Pension age. The group campaigns on behalf of 1950s born women who saw rapid and steep increases to their State Pension age without adequate notice. In March 2024, the Ombudsman found this to be maladministration and instructed Parliament to deliver compensation as quickly as possible. WASPI continues to work cross-party to see justice delivered for the 3.6 million women affected. The Ombudsman recommended payouts on a sliding scale but largely in and around the £2,950 mark. John Milne, Liberal Democrats MP for Horsham, is among those supporting WASPI women, He told the Commons this week: ” On underserved cohorts, WASPI women are the classic example—a group of people who were tragically under-informed, who received inadequate letters from the Department for Work and Pensions and so on. “That led to terrible distress and is a problem to this day.”
