Government to reconsider decision not to give compensation to Waspi women
Sir Keir Starmer previously rejected a compensation settlement thought to be worth around £10.5billion.
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Ministers will reconsider their decision to deny compensation to millions of women affected by changes to the state pension age, Pat McFadden has said.
The Work and Pensions Secretary told the Commons the Government would re-evaluate the decision to deny compensation to Waspi women - those born in the 1950s whose state pension age was raised so it would be equal with men.
He said “evidence” which was not shown to his predecessor Liz Kendall when she made the decision last December had since come to light and needed to be considered.
The decision to refuse compensation was made despite a recommendation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) the women should be paid up to £2,950 each.
They claim poor communication meant they had lost out on the chance to plan their retirement finances - leaving them unprepared.
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Sir Keir Starmer rejected the compensation package, saying taxpayers could not afford its potential £10.5 billion cost.
But Mr McFadden suggested to MPs that reconsidering the decision did not mean the Government would end up awarding the women compensation.
He told the Commons: “Retaking this decision should not be taken as an indication that Government will necessarily decide that it should award financial redress.
“The work will begin immediately and I will update the House on the decision as soon as a conclusion is reached.”
This comes after Waspi campaigners threatened the Government with legal action unless it reconsiders the decision to reject compensation for millions of women.
In February, the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign sent a "letter before action" to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), warning of High Court proceedings if the issue is not resolved.
Angela Madden, chairwoman of the group, said members will not allow the DWP's "gaslighting" of Waspi women to go "unchallenged".
Waspi campaigners also said the Government's reasons for rejecting the ombudsman's report were "legally wrong".