Anger mounts over government Waspi decision
Ryan Taylor
Politicians have reacted angrily to a UK government announcement there will be no compensation for Waspi women.
The controversial decision comes after work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall rejected calls for financial payouts to millions of women born in the 1950s, who say they were not adequately informed of a rise in state pension age to bring into line with men.
Isles MSP Beatrice Wishart has slammed the announcement, insisting it “flies in the face” of findings from the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which recommended that the government apologise and pay compensation to women affected by the increase.
Campaigners have spent years calling for compensation, arguing the changes in state pension age were not communicated properly between 1995 and 2007.
Ms Wishart said: “Campaigners have long fought this battle and I will be with them as a member of the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group for Waspi as they continue to press for their compensation.
“The UK government must rethink this decision and redress the unfairness brought upon many women.”
Her Westminster colleague Alistair Carmichael also condemned the government’s decision to reject the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s ruling.
Mr Carmichael said: “The findings of the independent Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman were clear: the government failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information to women affected by the state pension changes.
“The ombudsman was equally clear that those affected deserve compensation.
“It is hard to see how the government can reject that basic conclusion.
“Government budgets may be under pressure but there is no point in having the ombudsman make such a ruling if we do not respect its findings, which were themselves far from what the women affected were hoping for.
“The women involved have tirelessly campaigned for justice and deserve our admiration for their persistence. Ministers would be wise to think carefully about the political implications of discarding the ombudsman’s ruling today.
“We cannot of course forget the malpractice of the outgoing Conservative government in all this.
“Sitting on the ombudsman’s report for months before the election and cynically refusing to allocate any funding for compensation was utterly irresponsible and directly led to the mess we have today.”
