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A minister from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) has vowed to address the issue of compensation for WASPI women (Women Against State Pension Inequality). Last year, Labour ministers declared that there would be no payouts for these women, born in the 1950s, who are represented by WASPI and other advocacy groups. However, calls are growing for the DWP to alter its position and offer compensation, with a judicial review of the decision not to grant payouts set for December. Numerous MPs have voiced their support for compensation, and several political parties, including the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the SNP, back the cause. Iqbal Mohamed, an independent MP representing Dewsbury and Batley, brought up the matter in the House of Commons on Monday, October 27. He questioned the Government: "Last week, I attended a drop-in for the Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign where I was informed that there are currently 4,320 women in Dewsbury and Batley affected by the WASPI scandal. "That number was previously higher, but many of the women have already passed away without justice. On 27 July, I wrote to the former Secretary of State regarding her support for the WASPI campaign after being contacted by more than 40 of my constituents, but I have yet to receive a response. "With the Government still refusing to engage in civil mediation to deliver justice to the WASPI women, will the new Secretary of State reconsider meeting campaigners to find a just way forward?" Pensions minister Torsten Bell rose to the despatch box to deliver his response, reports Leicestershire Live. He stated: "The previous minister for pensions met representatives of the WASPI campaign in order to hear directly from them about their experiences. She was the first minister to do so in eight years. I will look into the details of the letter the honourable gentleman mentions." LeicestershireLive has contacted Mr Mohamed to enquire whether he has received a reply to his correspondence. What lies at the heart of the WASPI dispute? WASPI represents one of numerous organisations seeking compensation for women born during the 1950s who were impacted by the rise in state pension age from 60 to 65, aligning it with men's entitlement. The organisation contends that countless women remained unaware of this alteration, which undermined their retirement preparations, and maintains that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ought to have provided earlier notification. An earlier inquiry conducted by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman determined that the DWP had committed errors and should have dispatched correspondence to the affected women at an earlier stage. The organisation has also proposed compensation sums between £1,000 and £2,950. Despite the outcry, the DWP declared at the end of last year that no compensation would be granted. The department's ministers contended that earlier communication would have made little difference and that most women were informed about the changes to their state pension age. A judicial review of this decision is set for December 9 and 10. A spokesperson for the DWP previously commented on the upcoming judicial review: "We do not comment on live litigation. We accept the Ombudsman's finding of maladministration and have apologised for there being a 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women. "However, we do not agree with the Ombudsman's approach to injustice or remedy and that is why we have decided not to pay compensation."
