WASPI women dealt fresh £3,150 blow as compensation decision made

Labour has been criticised for issuing pensioners a devastating double blow after stripping them of winter fuel payments and denies WASPI women their compensation. The move is expected to cost affected women £3,150 - which accounts for the £200 scrapped winter fuel payment and the £2,950 denied pensions payout.

Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall today said the Government will reject payment claims from most of the 3.6 million women born in the 1950s who were not adequately notified about the increase in the State Pension age. The controversial decision has sparked anger from various political groups.

It comes after winter fuel payments for up to 10 million pensioners were axed earlier this year. The parliamentary ombudsman recommended in March that compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 should be handed to each of those affected.

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The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign had called for payments of at least £10,000 each, Express reports. The Government has acknowledged the ombudsman's finding of maladministration and issued an apology for the 28-month delay in notifying women born in the 1950s.

But it argues that evidence indicates just a quarter of people recall receiving and reading unexpected letters, and most women born in the 1950s were aware of the changes to the State Pension age. The Government has said the idea of a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost up to £10.5 billion, is unjustifiable.

It also said that devising a tailored compensation scheme which would consider individual circumstances and offer fairness, value for money, and feasibility is not possible. In 2022, Sir Keir Starmer supported 'fair and fast' compensation for the WASPI women.

In 2019, Angela Rayner said a Labour government 'will compensate' them, leaving people angered that they have seemingly gone back on their promises. Chair of the WASPI group Angela Madden voiced her outrage at the Government's decision ignore the ombudsman's report, calling it 'bizarre and totally injust'.

She said: "The government has today made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog. This is a bizarre and totally unjustified move which will leave everyone asking what the point of an ombudsman is if ministers can simply ignore their decisions."