A majority of Brits think the Government should U-turn on the decision to snub calls to compensate women affected by increases to the state pension age.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall last month rejected an ombudsman’s recommendation for payouts for millions of women born in the 1950s, saying it was not a fair use of taxpayers’ cash.
But a poll found three quarters (74%) think women should be “fairly compensated”. Another 78% think Keir Starmer has broken his word after he signed a pledge in opposition which read “I support fair and fast compensation for 1950s women”.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign, which commissioned the survey, said it was a “disgraceful decision”.
WASPI chair Angela Madden said: “For years we campaigned with prominent Cabinet members who have now reneged on their promises and decided not to deliver justice, despite the clear findings of the Ombudsman’s report and the unwavering public support.
“Not only does this question their integrity but throws public trust in our institutions into disarray. The Parliamentary Ombudsman is there to hold the Government to account. Labour’s decision to ignore it rides roughshod over our constitutional checks and balances.”
She said MPs needed to step up their fight to get proper compensation for the 3.6million women affected.
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It comes after the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommended payouts of between £1,000 and £2,950 to each 1950s-born woman affected last year. An estimated 300,000 affected women have died since calls for compensation were first mounted in 2015.
A Government spokesperson said: “We accept the Ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and have apologised for there being a 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women.
“However, research showed only one in four people remember reading and receiving letters that they weren’t expecting and that by 2006 90% of 1950s-born women knew that the State Pension age was changing. Earlier letters wouldn’t have affected this. For these and other reasons the government cannot justify paying for a £10.5 billion compensation scheme at the expense of the taxpayer.”
:: The poll of 2,079 British adults was carried out by Yonder from January 3-5.