DWP issues WASPI update with 'as soon as possible' message

Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaigners have been given an update regarding compensation from Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

The Cabinet minister addressed issues around state pension age changes during a Work and Pensions Committee meeting on Wednesday.

She was speaking in response to a question by Horsham Liberal Democrat MP John Milne, who pointed out swift government action on other scandals but not on the WASPI situation, reports the Express.

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He said: "Really appreciate that you've taken rapid action on the infected blood scandal and the Horizon scandal to sort out compensation there. WASPI women, however, a noticeable absence of, shall we say, these hang-overs from the last administration.

"I think what people would really like to know is when do you think you can address it... be it next year or, what plans do you have?"

Ms Kendall replied: "I want to respond to this as soon as possible. I know how long this issue has taken, even the Ombudsman took six years to do his report [and then] it wasn't responded to by the previous government. I know, and I know there are some of the WASPI women here today in the committee, I met the WASPI campaign when I was a shadow Secretary of State, the Pensions Minister has met the campaigners, I think the first minister to do so for six years or longer.

"I want this resolved as quickly as possible but this is, again, extremely complicated, lots of information to go through and we need to get it right, but I want this resolved as soon as possible."

Mr Milne repeated his request for a "timescale", but was told: "I can't give you any more, if I gave you a date then I'd have sorted it. It needs to be sorted, I will do it as soon as humanly possible."

Women affected by the WASPI changes had been given short notice that their State Pension age would rise by over five years. While campaigners do not object to the equalisation itself, they argue that the changes were implemented unfairly, with little to no notice.

Over six months ago, an Ombudsman report recommended that WASPI women receive compensation ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 each, urging Parliament to "act swiftly" in distributing the funds. However, no compensation has been paid out yet.