MP blasts ‘snail’s pace’ response to WASPI cases
Fury at government
Rutherglen and Cambuslang women fighting against changes to their pensions could be waiting 20 years before their cases will be looked at, an MP has warned.
MP Ged Killen has criticised the Government’s response to the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign, after a Freedom of Information request by the campaigners showed that there are just three members of staff at the independent case examiner dealing with the situation.
They are currently examining over 2,000 cases.
The average time for a response in these cases is nine weeks per case.
The WASPI situation is focused around accelerated changes to the state pension age from the 2011 Pensions Act, leaving some women who had been expecting their pension with no time to make alternate plans.
Mr Killen said: “The government has once again seriously underestimated the scale of the problem incurred by their reforms to the equalisation of the state pension age.
“The snail’s pace at which the government is processing complaints by WASPI women means that these women may have to wait longer to get a response to a complaint than they would have to wait to receive their pension.
“Once again the government has shown its willingness to legislate without taking full account of the human cost.
“WASPI women already face huge disruption to their future financial plans.
“The government should at least introduce a service standard so that WASPI women are not required to wait, wait and wait when they raise a grievance.
“The Department for Work and Pensions have, however, refused them even that courtesy”.