A Lanarkshire MSP has blasted the UK Government’s “betrayal” of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaigners.
The Labour Government confirmed it will ignore the recommendation from the UK Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to deliver compensation for WASPI Women.
Approximately 3.6 million women born in the 1950s were not properly informed of the rise in state pension age to bring them into line with men.
Nine months ago, the PHSO recommended compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 to those affected.
But Work & Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall this week announced the government would refuse the recommendation to award between £1,000 and £2,950 to women affected by the change in the state pension age.
Responding to the announcement, Motherwell and Wishaw MSP Clare Adamson said: “Labour promised to deliver justice for the 3.6 million WASPI women affected by the change in state pension age. That was in opposition. Now, in Government, they have betrayed those women.
“MSPs in the Scottish Parliament voted for full compensation for the WASPI women in an SNP led debate earlier this year. Labour abstained.
“For years, Labour politicians promised justice for these women. Anas Sarwar, Jackie Baillie, and many Labour MSPs and MPs campaigned alongside WASPI women calling for fairness. Where are they today? Their party has turned its back on campaigners.
“Since taking office, Labour has cut the universal winter fuel payment, kept the Tories’ abhorrent two child cap, and now it has abandoned the WASPI women.
“This is not the change that was promised. It is not the change that people voted for.
“Once again, Westminster fails to serve the interests of the people and this scandal is another in a long line of betrayals that cannot be forgiven.”
A parliamentary ombudsman recommended payouts of between £1,000 and £2,950 to those affected nine months ago.
The campaign had said there should be payments of at least £10,000 each.
Ms Kendall told the Commons: “The Government does not believe paying a flat rate to all women at a cost of up to £10.5 billion would be fair or proportionate to taxpayers.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended the decision not to pay an “expensive compensation package” for the women after she was confronted with her own past support for their campaign.
Ms Reeves said: “I understand that women affected by the changes to the state pension age feel disappointed by this decision, but we looked in full at the ombudsman recommendations and they said that around 90 per cent of women did know that these changes were coming.
“And as Chancellor, I have to account for every penny of taxpayers’ money spent.
“And given that the vast majority of people did know about these changes, I didn’t judge that it would be the best use of taxpayers’ money to pay an expensive compensation bill for something that most people knew was happening.”
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