It’s bad news for the 1950s-born WASPI women. Despite years of campaigning and a recommendation from the ombudsman, Liz Kendall, Labour’s work and pensions secretary, has confirmed there will be no compensation for women impacted by changes to the state pension age.
No Flat-Rate Payouts, Says Labour
Kendall argued that compensating the women – to the tune of £1,000 to £2,950 each – wouldn’t be “good value for taxpayer money”. She explained that in most cases, sending out a letter earlier to let women know their pension age was rising wouldn’t have changed much.
For context, from 1948 until 2010, women could retire at 60 while men waited until 65. A law change in 1995 ruled that women’s pension age would increase to 65 between 2010 and 2020.
For many women, this meant suddenly having to work years longer than planned, with some claiming they lost out on tens of thousands in pension payments.
Kendall’s Change of Heart?
This decision might sting even more for WASPI campaigners given Kendall’s previous support for their cause. Back in 2019, as a Labour backbencher, Kendall posed holding a sign that read:
“I will work with WASPI to identify and deliver a fair solution for all women involved.”
She didn’t stop there either. Kendall took to Twitter (now X) to highlight the issue, saying:
“Women across the UK are now suffering financial hardship – with 3,300 women affected in Leicester West alone! This injustice can’t go on.”
Now that she’s in charge of work and pensions, however, it seems her position has shifted. Labour’s line is clear: the £10.5 billion cost of compensation isn’t proportionate.
The WASPI Campaign: Where Now?
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has long argued that the government failed to communicate the changes properly, leaving thousands of women unprepared. The ombudsman agreed, recommending compensation – but Labour has now firmly closed that door.
For many of the affected women, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. Years of promises from politicians and yet, when push comes to shove, nothing changes. As one might say, WASPI women might have the last buzz.
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