Waspi Campaigner Calls Budget’s Compensation Omission a “Punch in the Chin”

A representative from the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group characterized the exclusion of compensation from the autumn Budget as a “punch in the chin”. Approximately 40 members of the Northamptonshire branch, alongside other Waspi groups from across the UK, gathered outside Westminster on Wednesday while Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her Budget address. Among those present was Jill Robertson, the coordinator for Northamptonshire, who conveyed her disappointment. She stated: “It’s another punch in the chin that we haven’t had any reference to it in this Budget, and that’s what we were looking for.” The Department for Work and Pensions affirmed its continued commitment to engage with Waspi and consider their feedback. Waspi was established in 2015 with the aim of securing “for justice for all women born in the 1950s” who were impacted by alterations to the state pension age. Numerous women were affected when previous governments opted to increase the pension age from 60 to 65 in 1995, and subsequently to 66 in 2012. This adjustment left them without the retirement income they had initially anticipated. In March, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman released a report asserting that the Department for Work and Pensions had failed to adequately communicate changes regarding the women’s state pension age. Ms Robertson further commented that she was not “devastated” by the Budget’s oversight, explaining “because it’s not surprising.” She added, “They missed us off once again, and they’ve been doing that certainly for the last three years.” Mary Jones, also a member of the Northamptonshire group, described her presence at Westminster on Wednesday as “absolutely amazing.” She stated: “We were doing our best to make them aware that we were there.” She continued: “We were bitterly disappointed, but thankfully quite a few of the MPs came out afterwards and spoke to us and gave us so much hope.” Adding: “They told us to keep going, and that is exactly what we are going to do. We are never going away.” Waspi organizations are evaluating their subsequent actions, which include the potential pursuit of legal proceedings. However, Ms Robertson expressed optimism that the government would address the matter, particularly following its commitment within the budget to over £13bn in compensation for individuals affected by the infected blood and Post Office Horizon scandals. “Different people have got a different idea about how it can be tackled,” Ms Robertson added. “These groups that want to go to court will only hold up everything else, so really going to court will take a long time.” She concluded: “I’m hoping that the actual way to go would be a similar way to what they were discussing in 2019.” During 2019, Labour proposed that women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1955 would be paid £100 for each week of entitlement lost. Women born between 6 April 1955 and 6 April 1960 would be allocated lesser sums. The highest compensation figure was set at £31,300, with an average payout of £15,380. A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions commented: “This was a serious report, requiring serious consideration.” The spokesperson added: “We will continue to listen respectfully to the women involved and ensure we take on board any lessons learnt.” Updates on Northamptonshire news are available via BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.