Why Waspi women will get ‘respect’ ... but still no cash payout

THE Waspi women who lost out in the state pension age changes deserve ‘respect’, Labour’s party chairman said yesterday as she refused to commit to any compensation.

Anneliese Dodds said lessons needed to be learned but did not back a previous party manifesto promise of £58billion payouts.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt also declined to commit to compensation saying the issue was ‘complicated’ and ‘there’s no secret vault of money’ for payouts.

A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) last week found that the Government failed to adequately inform women born in the 1950s about an increase in the state pension entitlement age, leaving many without decent retirement plans.

Appearing on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme yesterday,

‘Lessons need to be learned’

Ms Dodds was reminded that Labour had committed to compensating the women at the last election. ‘Well, unfortunately, of course Labour lost the last election,’ she said. Asked whether she would agree to compensation now, she said: ‘I believe in principle those women deserve respect.’

Pressed, she added: ‘The one thing that is crystal clear coming out of it is actually around the need to make sure that there are those lessons learned.’

Mr Hunt, asked whether he would compensate the women, said: ‘There’s no secret vault of money.

‘The money we would pay in compensation has to come from other taxpayers.’

Campaigners from Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) have demanded action on the report recommendations. The PHSO suggested compensation could cost from £3.5billion to £10.5billion, though campaigners are pushing for a higher figure.