WASPI women have launched a legal challenge against the Government after it rejected calls to pay billions of pounds in compensation. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) staged a protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday as they sought a judicial review to force the Government to reconsider its decision. Labour has ruled out a compensation package for 1950s-born women affected by the way changes to the state pension age were communicated.
WASPI chairwoman Angela Madden said: “We do not want to be taking legal action, but we have been forced to, due to the Government’s total denial of justice. The Government has an opportunity now to get around the table and engage meaningfully with us. If they don’t, they will have to continue to defend the indefensible, but this time in front of senior judges.”
A previous report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman suggested compensation ranging between £1,000 and £2,950 could be appropriate for each of those affected.
The Government said it accepted the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and apologised for there being a delay in writing to 1950s-born women. However, in December it said a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost taxpayers up to £10.5billion, could not be justified.
Campaigners said they have raised more than £150,000 in recent weeks to fund a High Court challenge.
On Monday, MPs debated a petition signed by more than 160,000 people which demands compensation.
Opening the debate, Dr Roz Savage called the Government’s claim that women should have been aware of the changes as “deeply offensive”.
She said that going against the ombudsman ruling was an “egregious lack of transparency and accountability”.
The Liberal Democrat MP added: “The clock is ticking. Over 300,000 1950s-born women have died since this campaign began, with on average another one passing away every 13 minutes. The solution is clear. The Government must act now to compensate WASPI women fairly and swiftly. These women have served their community, family and country, and it’s time that we serve them.”
Labour MP Jon Trickett said Labour cannot ignore the WASPI women and hit out at a “burning sense of injustice”.
Meanwhile, Tory Sir John Hayes slammed the Labour MPs who before the election said they would defend the WASPI women while urging ministers to “change course”.
A government spokesman said: “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, evidence showed only one in four people remember reading and receiving letters that they weren’t expecting and that by 2006, 90% of 1950s-born women knew that the state pension age was changing.
“The Government cannot justify paying for a £10.5bn compensation scheme at the expense of the taxpayer.”