Keir Starmer is encountering a new challenge as Labour MPs are adding their voices to the growing demands for a reversal of the decision on WASPI payouts.
In a joint effort, fifteen backbenchers, along with 100 MPs from various parties including the Liberals, Conservatives, Reform, SNP, independents, and DUP, have urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the denial of compensation to millions of women born in the 1950s.
Following the emergence of new evidence last year, ministers are now deliberating their next steps. The letter emphasizes the need to rectify the decision concerning Winter Fuel Payment, Personal Independence Payments, and inheritance tax relief on agricultural properties.
Steve Darling, the spokesperson for pensions at the Liberal Democrats, emphasized the urgency for ministers to take action and provide justice to women born in the 1950s who have long awaited fair treatment.
Pressure is mounting on the government to reverse its decision of not granting compensation ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 to 3.6 million women. Legal action by WASPI, which was set for a court confrontation in December, has been put on hold pending the outcome of the ongoing review.
The failures at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) led to a lack of proper communication regarding the increase in the state pension age for women, resulting in many women facing financial hardship due to the abrupt changes in their retirement plans.
Affected women had to cope with the state pension age rising from 60 to 65 and then to 66, leaving many in a vulnerable financial situation.
Angela Madden, chair of the WASPI campaign, urged ministers to stop delaying and start compensating the affected women promptly. She highlighted the overwhelming support received from people across the country and in Parliament, emphasizing the importance of the upcoming weeks for Labour ministers to heed the calls for action.
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