The group is urging women and supporters to write to MPs before DWP announces compensation decision in February
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has issued a stark warning to ministers, cautioning them of potential ‘national outrage’. This comes as the group continues to rally people to write letters to their MPs, demanding compensation for women impacted by changes to the State Pension.
The campaign’s ambitious goal is to flood the government with one million letters, pressing for the compensation they believe they’re due. This follows closely on the heels of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) announcement that it plans to revisit a decision regarding compensation for WASPI women.
In the past, the DWP chose not to adhere to earlier parliamentary ombudsman recommendations to award payouts ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 per affected individual, a move that ignited fury among campaigners. The case was initially slated for a High Court hearing in December, but a recent review has postponed this, with a verdict now expected in February.
In a statement on X, the WASPI campaign declared: “WASPI women are launching a Herculean effort: 1 MILLION letters to MPs before Govt decides on compensation in February. Ministers risk a tsunami of national outrage if they ignore calls for compensation.
“Now is the moment to support WASPI women.”
Why the DWP decision to not compensate was held back
Last November, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden revealed that a fresh document from 2007 had emerged which his predecessor, Liz Kendall, had not been privy to. Due to this development, the decision against providing compensation was put under scrutiny.
Nevertheless, he emphasised: “Retaking this decision should not be taken as an indication that the Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress.” The DWP is anticipated to reveal its verdict by February 24.
WASPI chair Angela Madden declared: “WASPI women are prepared to fight harder than ever before to seek the justice we deserve over the next few weeks. But we are not just asking 1950s women themselves to help.
“We need everyone in the country who backs us to get involved in a Herculean effort to make this an issue no MP can ignore.”
She continued: “This really is crunch time. We need every MP making it clear that ministers are in the last chance saloon. If they again ignore the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s recommendations, they risk a humiliating tsunami of national outrage and further legal action.”
