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Waspi women protest at Holyrood as SNP Government makes another demand for compensation

dailyrecord.co.uk 2025/2/16

A vote in favour of compensation was passed by MSPs tonight in a purely symbolic move, as the issue is reserved to Westminster.

Waspi campaigners in the public gallery at the Scottish Parliament
Waspi campaigners in the public gallery at the Scottish Parliament

Waspi women staged a protest outside the Scottish Parliament today before MSPs made a fresh appeal for the UK Government to belatedly award them compensation.

All parties at Holyrood agree some form of pay-out should be made to people who missed out as a result of a long-planned change to state pension eligibility rules.

A vote in favour of compensation was passed by MSPs tonight in a purely symbolic move, with the UK Government having already ruled out any payments being made.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Social Justice Secretary, tabled a motion calling on Westminster "to compensate Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) women as recommended by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman".

Scottish Labour has also backed calls for some form of compensation despite party colleagues in London ruling it out.

Somerville said the women impacted "deserve to be fairly compensated for the mistakes of the UK Government".

“It is vital that the UK Government and DWP take responsibility for these failings and this includes delivering a full compensation package at the earliest possible time,” she added.

“I call on the UK Government to listen to the Waspi women’s call for comprehensive compensation, taking into account the financial hardship suffered, coupled with the UK having one of the worst gender pension gaps in the OECD."

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A UK parliamentary ombudsman previously recommended compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 for women caught out by changes to the pension age made under previous Conservative governments.

Waspi had called for at least £10,000 each.

Liz Kendall, the UK Work and Pensions Secretary, last year apologised for a 28-month delay in sending letters warning of the pension change, she said there was no evidence of "direct financial loss" resulting from the government's decision.

She said the compensation scheme would cost £10.5bn and would not be "fair or proportionate to taxpayers".

Maggie Chapman, Scottish Greens social security spokeswoman, said: "The betrayal of the Waspi women is yet another grave injustice waged against working class women all over the UK. They were not properly informed of changes to their pensions, and now are being refused any compensation.

"All of the women who have been affected deserve fast, fair and full compensation. Those politicians that have misled them and used them just to win votes must apologise too. It is shocking that Waspi women have been used in this way, only to have politicians turn their backs on them.

"Far too many women have died without resolution or justice. Keir Starmer can and must act to deliver that justice."

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A UK 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, evidence 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.”

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