DOZENS of MPs from across the political spectrum confronted Labour ministers on their refusal to U-turn and compensate Waspi women affected by state pension age changes.
Labour backbencher Rebecca Long Bailey secured a debate on the issue in the House of Commons on Thursday, telling MPs the arguments against compensation for the 1950s-born women are “bizarre” and akin to those made by people who believe the Earth is flat.
Long Bailey was backed by other Labour backbenchers, as well as SNP, Tory, LibDems, Green and independent MPs.
Last December, the UK Government ruled out a compensation package for women born in the 1950s, whose state pension age was raised so it would be equal with men.
This is despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves being among the senior ministers to support the Waspi campaign when Labour was in opposition.
A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) had recommended the UK Government pay compensation to the affected women.
The watchdog also said the women should be paid up to £2950 each, a package with a potential total cost of £10.5 billion to the public purse, as poor communication meant they had lost out on the chance to plan their retirement finances.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group is currently seeking a judicial review to force the UK Government to reconsider its decision to rule out a compensation package.
Work and pensions minister Torsten Bell, who is also a Treasury minister, said the UK Government does not agree with the Ombudsman’s approach “to injustice or to remedy”.
The MP for Salford said: “I don’t want (Bell) to go down in history as the man who denied justice for the 1950s women, I honestly don’t. I want to see action on this, and I want him to go down as the person who finally, finally managed to award them justice.
“But at the moment, he’s got to understand that the arguments being put forward by the Government are absurd, to say the least. In fact, they’re akin to somebody arguing that the world is flat, in denying the Ombudsman’s report.”
Earlier in her contribution, Long Bailey disputed the Government’s assertion that the women knew the change was coming.
She said: “Whilst the Government agreed with the finding of maladministration and apologised, no redress would be forthcoming.
“And contrary to the Ombudsman, they actually felt that the majority of women did know about changes to their pension age, based on Department for Work and Pensions research, and that sending the women letters would not have been effective, which I’m sure most people would agree is bizarre.
“It’s pretty effective when a bill addressed to you coming through your door comes through, it’s pretty effective when it’s a hospital appointment, it’s pretty effective on the very rare but joyous occasion that HMRC gives you a tax rebate cheque.
“So, I ask, honestly, would 1950s-born women have actively refused to open letters with their name on from the DWP? It makes no sense.”
Long Bailey went on to argue that ministers could raise funds to pay for the compensation, by applying a wealth tax of one or two per cent to assets over £10m, or equalise capital gains tax with income tax rates.
Speaking in the Commons, Stephen Flynn MP, the SNP’s Westminster leader, said: “Over the course of recent weeks, we have seen that if there is a will, there is a way."
“If her colleagues on the Labour benches were to use their newfound power perhaps we could find a way getting the Government to right this historic, grievous wrong.”
Daisy Cooper MP, deputy leader of the LibDems, said: “On behalf of my party, I urge the Government please to reflect after this debate, and to go back to the drawing board and think about what can be done. At the very least, they should think of something to help those women who are struggling the most. Doing nothing is really not an option.”
Angela Madden, chair of Waspi, said: “MPs from across the Commons came together again this afternoon to demonstrate the sheer strength of feeling behind compensating Waspi women, detailing the devastating effects of the DWP’s communication failures on their own constituents.
“However, we should not have to wait for another Parliamentary debate or for the conclusion of a court case to act. Waspi women deserve justice and must be urgently compensated.
“Labour MPs have already demonstrated their power in forcing U-turns on proposed PIP and welfare cuts this week. If ministers want to avoid an embarrassing repeat of these events, they must think again.”
