WASPI Women to Pursue Legal Action Against Government for Pension Age Changes
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign is preparing to take legal action against the Government unless Labour ministers reconsider their stance on compensation related to changes in the state pension age. In a recent communication, the WASPI group has informed the Government of their intention to escalate the matter to the High Court if a resolution is not reached soon.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, along with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), has been given a strict 14-day deadline to reassess their decision regarding compensation payments. Should the ministers fail to respond positively, WASPI’s legal team is poised to initiate judicial review proceedings. Furthermore, the campaign has launched a crowdfunding initiative aimed at raising £75,000 necessary to support their case in the High Court.
WASPI activists expressed outrage in December when Kendall dismissed the idea of a compensation scheme, claiming it would not be a “fair or proportionate” use of taxpayer funds.
Background and Demands
The WASPI group is advocating for a minimum compensation of £10,000 for each of the 3.6 million women born in the 1950s who anticipated receiving their state pension at the age of 60, only to discover they would have to wait an additional five to six years. This movement gained momentum following a 2024 report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), which found the DWP guilty of “maladministration” for failing to adequately inform women about the changes to the pension age.
While Keir Starmer’s Government acknowledged the maladministration, they rejected the PHSO’s recommendation for compensation. Angela Madden, chair of the WASPI campaign, accused Labour of “gaslighting” women born in the 1950s and expressed confidence in their potential victory in court. She stated, “We believe the reasons the Government is not adhering to the ombudsman’s recommendations are unsound and unlawful.”
Legal Grounds and Government Response
The legal representatives from Bindmans LLP argue that the Government’s rationale for dismissing the PHSO’s compensation recommendation contradicts established legal principles. The Government justified its decision by asserting that 90 percent of WASPI women were aware of the changes in the state pension age, despite the DWP’s shortcomings in effectively notifying them.
However, WASPI claims the Government has misrepresented survey data, indicating that the figures refer to a general awareness among the broader population rather than specifically targeting those born in the 1950s. Only around 200 women from this demographic were included in the survey of 1,950 participants.
Madden stated, “We do not agree with their interpretation of those statistics. The Government has recognized that 1950s-born women are victims of maladministration, yet they claim that none of us suffered any injustice. This is not only outrageous but legally incorrect.”
Crowdfunding and Future Plans
Angela Madden expressed optimism that WASPI women would support the legal action, as they embark on a crowdfunding campaign to raise £75,000 within a month. She noted, “There is a significant amount of anger. We have listened to our supporters, who have urged us to continue fighting. The appetite is there.” Madden believes they could reach their funding target quickly, potentially within the first week.
Previously, the WASPI group successfully raised £120,000 through crowdfunding for a legal challenge against the PHSO in 2023. Initially, the ombudsman had not recognized that WASPI women had incurred financial losses, but this perspective changed during the judicial review, leading to a recommendation of compensation between £1,000 and £2,950.
Madden acknowledges that even if they win in the High Court, it may not result in compensation for millions of WASPI women. Nonetheless, the campaign aims to demonstrate that the Labour Government’s decision was legally flawed, hoping to prompt a change in the ministers’ approach.
She commented, “The DWP is acting as perpetrator, judge, jury, and sentencer, which disregards the checks and balances established by Parliament to protect citizens from governmental errors.”
The Government is reportedly taking the potential legal proceedings into serious consideration. A spokesperson stated that while they accept the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and have apologized for the delays in communication to 1950s-born women, they maintain that evidence indicates only one in four individuals recall receiving unexpected letters about the changes. They also asserted that by 2006, 90 percent of women in this age group were aware of the changes to the state pension age. Given these factors, the Government believes that funding a £10.5 billion compensation scheme would be unjustifiable at the taxpayer’s expense.
