WASPI ladies share DWP compensation evaluation replace – what it’s essential to know
A hearing was due to take place this week but changes to that plan are now being given different interpretations by different sides
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What you need to know about the WASPI update
- The Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign (WASPI) has claimed that the UK Government has agreed to a ‘speedy and thorough’ review of whether to offer compensation to women born in the 1950s. A court hearing scheduled for Wednesday has now been cancelled.
- A special hearing had been set to address concerns from the WASPI campaign, which would determine whether a judicial review trial planned for December 9 and 10 should go ahead. The group, representing millions of UK women affected by the way changes to the State Pension age were communicated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) under successive governments, stated that this agreement means these court dates have now been cancelled.
- Ministers have pledged to make ‘best endeavours’ to reconsider potential compensation within 12 weeks, or by February 24, and to cover over half of WASPI’s legal costs, the group said. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, also said last month that the UK Government will reconsider the decision not to award compensation to the affected women.
- According to the Daily Record, Angela Madden, chairwoman of WASPI, stated: “Yet again, WASPI has held its nerve and yet again, virtually at the steps of the court, the Government has backed down, this time accepting last year’s decision denying the huge injustice suffered by WASPI women simply does not withstand scrutiny. The agreement on speedy and thorough reconsideration is welcome, but the Government should be in no doubt that WASPI stands ready to return to court if it yet again fails to do the right thing.”
- However, a spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions told the PA news agency: “This is a mischaracterisation. The WASPI campaigners have agreed to withdraw their judicial review following our commitment last month to retake the decision. We will retake the decision as soon as possible.”
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