WASPI women have hit out at the Government’s decision to deny £10.5billion of compensation to millions of pensioners claiming they have been put ‘in the firing line’.
Keir Starmer is facing furious backlash after his government announced it would not pay a penny to the ‘WASPI women’ who were told they would have to work five years longer to receive their pension.
An estimated 3.8million women born between April 6, 1950, and April 5, 1960, were affected by a change to the state pension age from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020.
They say they suffered financially and were left worse off in retirement because they were not given enough notice about it happening.
Lesley Wright, 67, said she has still not received a letter about the changes to the state pension age and only found out through the media at the time. She said she is ‘absolutely furious’ about Labour’s refusal to compensate WASPI women.
Meanwhile, Jan Clarke, 69, said the move was ‘appalling’ and claimed the Government have put ‘pensioners in the firing line’ following its decision to also scrap the winter fuel payment for elderly people.
Ms Clarke also hit out at the Government for breaking ‘so many promises’, adding that Labour had ‘misled people’ after previously backing the campaign while the party was in opposition.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall are among the Labour frontbenchers who previously appeared in photographs alongside WASPI women to lend their support to the group.
Keir Starmer is facing furious backlash after his government announced it would not pay a penny to the ‘WASPI women’. Pictured: Keir Starmer posing with WASPI women campaigners in 2018
Lesley Wright, 67, said she has still not received a letter about the changes to the state pension age and only found out through the media at the time
Jan Clarke, 69, said Labour’s refusal to compensate WASPI women was ‘appalling’ and claimed the Government have put ‘pensioners in the firing line’
Ms Clarke was diagnosed with cancer in her 50s and was left unable to work due to the side effects from the treatment and medication.
Ms Clarke claimed to have lost thousands of pounds following the increase in the pension age, But she added she was ‘one of the lucky ones’ as her partner was able to support her.
Communications informing her of the changes to the pension age were ‘more or less nonexistent’, she added.
Speaking about the Government’s decision to deny compensation to WASPI women, Ms Clarke told MailOnline: ‘It adds insult to injury. Again the government has misled people.
‘I have never seen a government break so many promises. I don’t think this government has any conscious.
‘It is a mess. It is far far worse than expected. It just seems they have pensioners in the firing line.
‘A lot of WASPI woman and pensioners have been tax payers for years. We already paid into the pot. I have paid into the pot.
‘I think [the WASPI scandal] is just going to wither on the vine and that will be the end of it.’
WASPI campaigners stage a protest on College Green in Westminster, London, as Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers her Budget in the Houses of Parliament
WASPI campaigners stage a protest on College Green in Westminster, London, as Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivers her Budget in the Houses of Parliament
Lesley Wright, 67, said she has still not received a letter about the changes to the state pension age and only found out through the media.
She told MailOnline: ‘I am absolutely furious. It is absolutely outrageous.
‘I was on a teacher pension so I am comfortable, but I have couple of friends who really only have their state pension. One of them was in floods of tears last night.
‘This government is morally bankrupt. They have no shame. Where is their care and compassion?
‘I think they think old people are worthless. I feel as though I have been pushed aside.
‘It is just one lie after another. One blow after another. First the heating allowance and now this. I feel this government hold old people in contempt.’
Earlier this morning Sky News presenter Kay Burley got into a heated exchange with a minister live on-air while discussing Labour’s decision to deny compensation to WASPI women.
The broadcaster tore into communities minister Rushanara Ali as she was repeatedly challenged about previous Labour promises to compensate the ‘WASPI women’.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves proudly posed for photographs in 2020 alongside Waspi campaigners
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has also previously shown her support for the campaign having posed with two WASPI women in 2019
Ms Ali said going ahead with the £10.5billion pay package would not be ‘fair or proportionate’, adding that the Government was focused on improving the living standards of pensioners.’
During the excruciating on-air spat, both women could be heard repeatedly talking over each other, with Burley urging the minister to ‘stay on topic’.
Burley was also quick to highlight how many pensioners feel betrayed by Labour after previously backing the campaign while the party was in opposition.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall are among the Labour frontbenchers who previously appeared in photographs alongside WASPI women to lend their support to the group.
Addressing the pictures, Burley said: ‘Liz Kendall has been pictured with the WASPI campaign promising to deliver a fair solution, as has Rachel Reeves, as has Keir Starmer. Can you understand why people don’t believe a word you say?’
Ms Ali then replied: ‘I go back to the point about the lessons that need to be learned, and the fact that this Government has apologised for that delay. But we’ve got to focus on the issues at hand, in terms of improving the living standards of pensioners.’
Rachel Reeves has also defended the decision to block the compensation despite having previously been photographed backing the campaign.
In a media interview today the Chancellor said the massive payout was not ‘the best use of taxpayers’ money’ and suggested only a small number of women has been unaware of the change.
Liz Kendall, who on Tuesday rejected the The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) watchdog’s recommendation to compensate the WASPI women, poses with campaigners in 2019
Ms Reeves said: ‘I understand that women affected by the changes to the state pension age feel disappointed by this decision, but we looked in full at the ombudsman recommendations and they said that around 90 per cent of women did know that these changes were coming.
‘And as Chancellor, I have to account for every penny of taxpayers’ money spent.
‘And given that the vast majority of people did know about these changes, I didn’t judge that it would be the best use of taxpayers’ money to pay an expensive compensation bill for something that most people knew was happening.’
It came as the decision to block redress was condemned by the watchdog who recommended it.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) watchdog said the women should be paid up to £2,950 each, a package with a potential total cost of £10.5 billion to the public purse, as poor communication meant they had lost out on the change to plan their retirement finances.
On Tuesday, Ms Kendall rejected this recommendation. The PM insisted last night he could not add to the ‘burden’ on taxpayers despite the government apologising for delays in sending out letters telling them about the change.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, the ombudsman, told Times Radio: ‘It’s great that the Government are saying that our intervention will lead to service improvements and it’s fair to say also that people who come to us, overwhelmingly, are motivated by wanting things to improve for other people.
‘But what we don’t expect is for an acknowledgement to be made by a public body that it’s got it wrong but then refuse to make it right for those affected.’
Senior Labour figures, including Ms Reeves, Sir Keir, Angela Rayner and Ms Kendall, all backed the women’s campaign in opposition.
In 2022, Sir Keir signed a pledge calling for the women affected to receive ‘fair and fast’ compensation. Last year, he said they had faced a huge injustice’.
But on Monday, the Prime Minister said the Government could not afford the estimated £10.5billion cost – which would have seen a payout of up to £3,000 to each of the more than 3million affected.
The decision triggered a wave of anger with Angela Madden, chairman of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) group, describing it as an ‘insult’.
In the Commons, Ms Kendall faced a backlash from Labour MPs and cries of ‘shame’.
Labour MP Brian Leishman said he was ‘appalled’ by the decision, telling Ms Kendall: ‘Waspi women certainly do not need words of disappointment and they certainly do not need hollow statements. What they need is justice.’
