The Labour government has faced criticism for breaking a promise to compensate women affected by increases in the state pension age, known as WASPI women.
Labour was accused of hypocrisy last night after abandoning a vow to compensate women hit by increases in the state pension age. Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said government would not pay a penny to the 3.8million ‘Waspi women’ who were told they would have to work five years longer to receive their pension. Senior Labour figures, including Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, 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.’ Tory pensions spokesman Helen Whately said it was ‘no surprise’ Labour had broken its pre-election pledges to the Waspi women. Sir Keir Starmer was a supporter of compensation for Waspi women as recently as 2022 Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendall (right) holding a placard in support of the WASPI campaign. ‘Yet again, they said one thing to get elected and are now doing another,’ she said. ‘Just like they had “no plans” to take the winter fuel payment from 10million pensioners. 'They shouldn’t expect to get away with this hypocris
Labour WASPI Pensions Compensation Hypocrisy
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