UK government denies £10.5 billion compensation for WASPI women

WASPI women received an important update regarding their pension compensation claims. The government’s pensions minister addressed the situation, noting that although the Parliamentary Ombudsman recommended a £10.5 billion payout, the government plans to take a different approach. The issue centers around the rise in the state pension age for women born in the 1950s. Many of these women argue that they were not adequately informed and could not prepare properly for retirement. Pensions minister Torsten Bell acknowledged that the government should have communicated the changes sooner, but he disagreed with the Ombudsman’s approach to justice. Bell stated that a majority of WASPI women were aware of the pension age change. He said compensating all 3.5 million women would not be fair or affordable, especially in light of current welfare cuts. He emphasized the government's decision is based on practical reasons rather than ignoring the Ombudsman’s report. The Ombudsman had suggested compensating the affected women nearly £3,000 each due to insufficient communication. However, despite previous support for the WASPI campaign from Labour Party leaders, the government dismissed a compensation package last December. During a recent debate, Labour MPs criticized the previous Conservative government for not acting on the Ombudsman's findings. Some MPs continued to back the WASPI women, expressing disappointment that the support outlined in the report was not implemented. Campaigners are pursuing a judicial review to urge the government to reconsider its stance on compensation.