Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall says she wants to resolve the issue of compensation for Women Against State Pension Inequality campaigners “as soon as possible”.
Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaigners, fighting against State Pension equality issues have been given a glimmer of hope. Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, told them resolution might be “soon”. The promise was made during her speech to the Work and Pensions Committee on Wednesday.
The group has dealt with disrupted retirement plans following changes to their pension ages. Horsham Lib Dem MP John Milne raised the issue, stating: “Really appreciate that you’ve taken rapid action on the infected blood scandal and the Horizon scandal to sort out compensation there. WASPI members, however, a noticeable absence of, shall we say, these hang-overs from the last administration.”
He asked when the issue would be addressed, adding: “I think what people would really like to know is when do you think you can address it… be it next year or, what plans do you have?” In response, Kendall insisted she aims to tackle the problem “as soon as possible” and recalled the lengthy process of addressing such concerns, including the Ombudsman’s six-year investigation
She concluded: “I know how long this issue has taken… I know, and I know there are some of the WASPI women here today in the committee, I met the WASPI campaign when I was a shadow Secretary of State, the Pensions Minister has met the campaigners, I think the first minister to do so for six years or longer.”
“I want this resolved as quickly as possible but this is, again, extremely complicated, lots of information to go through and we need to get it right, but I want this resolved as soon as possible,” reports Leicestershire Live. In the quest for a “timescale”, MP Milne prodded further but got the response: “I can’t give you any more, if I gave you a date then I’d have sorted it. It needs to be sorted [and] I will do it as soon as humanly possible.”
WASPI campaigners, who faced a sudden hike in their State Pension age by more than five years, push back not against the equalisation but the “do not accept the unfair way the changes to our pensions were implemented with inadequate or no notice”. Despite an Ombudsman report issued over half a year ago recommending compensation between £1,000 to £2,950 for each affected woman and Parliament’s urging to “act swiftly”, these ladies have yet to see a penny.
