WASPI women have hailed a "major" breakthrough in their fight against the UK Government after judges approved a limit on the campaign’s liability for DWP legal fees.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has agreed to a costs capping order after what Waspi [Women Against State Pension Inequality] describes as "months of resistance".
The Waspi group said it would have faced a real risk "of financial ruin" had this order not been agreed.
Without the costs cap, Waspi would be liable for paying the UK Government’s legal fees – which would be in the hundreds of thousands – should it lose its case.
The agreement limits Waspi’s liability for Government legal costs to £60,000, and caps the Government’s liability for Waspi’s legal costs at £90,000.
The campaign group has welcomed the breakthrough as a “major milestone”.
The Waspi group is seeking a judicial review to force the Government to reconsider its decision to rule out a compensation package for women affected by the way changes to the state pension age were communicated.
Angela Madden, chair of Waspi, said: "This agreement – fully approved by the court – is a vital step forward in our legal campaign. Without this safeguard, we faced a real risk of financial ruin – of effectively being silenced by the threat of Government legal bills running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
“This is the fight of our lives – and we can’t win it without public support.”
Earlier this month, senior High Court judge Mr Justice Swift, ruled that the case is “arguable” and “ought to be considered at a final hearing”, meaning ministers could be ordered to re-think their position on compensation if Waspi wins in court.
A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PSHO) suggested compensation ranging between £1000 and £2950 could be appropriate for each of the women affected.
But in December 2024, the Government said that, while it accepted the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and apologised for there being a delay in writing to 1950s-born women, a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost taxpayers up to £10.5 billion, cannot be justified.
Lawyers for the campaigners argue that the Government’s reasons for concluding that people should not receive any remedy are a breach of legal principles.
The campaign is continuing to ask supporters to contribute to its legal fighting fund as preparations begin for a full hearing later this year.
The group raised enough to cover not only the capped Government costs, but those of the legal team fighting the case.
