Waspi promises come back to haunt Labour
LABOUR was last night urged not to turn its back on women hit by changes to the state pension age as past promises made by Keir Starmer and his top team re-emerged.
A long-awaited ruling found on Thursday that women born in the 1950s had been failed by the Government and could be owed up to £10.5billion in payouts.
However, campaigners blasted ‘insulting’ compensation proposals made by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, claiming they would leave those affected thousands out of pocket.
Now, activists fear they may not get anything at all, as the Government refused to commit to any payouts, and Labour, whose responsibility it may be after the general election, has stayed silent.
Angela Madden, of the Waspi campaign, has urged Sir Keir not to forget the women who have been left worse off in retirement. Key members of the Shadow Cabinet, including the Labour leader, have supported Ms Madden.
She said: ‘Ministers are sticking with their vow of silence. With so many senior figures in the Shadow Cabinet previously speaking up for us, they now have the opportunity to reaffirm their original promises. Please don’t abandon us now.’
Sir Keir’s deputy Angela Rayner, shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry, international development spokesman Lisa Nandy and pensions spokesman Liz Kendall have all backed Waspi. Some have even been pictured holding a placard that reads: ‘I will work with Waspi to identify and deliver a solution for all women affected.’
In its 2019 manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn, Labour described the Waspi plight as a ‘betrayal’ and set aside a £58billion package to compensate women, promising up to £31,300 per person.
However, Sir Keir’s Labour has made no such commitment so far.
Ms Madden said: ‘With a general election potentially a few short months away, Waspi women are
‘Don’t abandon us now’
watching closely to understand what Keir Starmer would do if he were in No10. They should surely seize the opportunity to show they really will back 1950s born women on fair and fast compensation.’
On Thursday, ministers faced demands to ensure proper compensation is paid to the women who were not properly informed about changes to their state pension age from 2010.
Campaigners said it was time for supportive politicians to ‘put their money where their mouth is’ with ‘a proper compensation package’.
The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated it would ‘refuse to comply’ with the ombudsman’s recommendations, it is claimed. For this reason, the ombudsman put the report to ministers in the hopes its rulings would be enforced, in a rare intervention.
A DWP spokesman said: ‘We will consider the ombudsman’s report and respond in due course, having cooperated fully throughout this investigation. The Government has always been committed to supporting all pensioners... whilst also being fair to them and taxpayers.’
A Labour spokesman said: ‘Lessons must be learned from what has happened to ensure everyone can properly plan for their retirement.’