Women’s State Pension Age Financial Redress 2025-07-03

Supports Rebecca Long Bailey's stance, expressing concern over Government's response to the PHSO report. Questions whether there has been any progress in providing support for women impacted by changes.

Pays tribute to Rebecca Long Bailey's leadership in the campaign, highlighting that the Government is refusing to comply with ombudsman’s recommendations, inviting Parliament to intervene.

Supports the campaign for WASPI women and acknowledges Rebecca Long Bailey's work on this issue. He suggests that if Labour used its power effectively, it could push the Government to right this injustice.

Congratulates Rebecca Long Bailey for securing the debate and highlights Labour's failure to deliver on promises made during elections. She also points out that 74% of the British public support fair compensation for WASPI women.

Agrees with Rebecca Long Bailey about the need to find a constructive solution and criticises the Government's refusal to engage in talks, forcing women into lengthy court battles instead of swift compensation.

Recalls her experience with WASPI women constituents over eight years and emphasises that what matters most is the significance of being compensated rather than just the amount of money.

Expresses appreciation for Rebecca Long Bailey's stance on justice for WASPI women in Northern Ireland, highlighting their anger and desire for redress.

Emphasises the importance of trust in government, especially in light of low public confidence. He calls for a fair compensation scheme to be voted on in Parliament. Discusses the impact of pension changes on women's lives and the broader issue of justice.

Congratulates Rebecca Long Bailey on securing the debate, emphasising that this is about trust in government and a betrayal of trust for those who supported WASPI women. He agrees that it's crucial to hold all parties accountable.

Agrees with Tom Gordon's point, emphasising the issue as one of justice and equality between men and women. Mentions being inundated with correspondence from constituents about this matter.

Thanks WASPI women for their campaigning efforts in Falkirk. He asks the Government to address specific questions, such as why they choose when to implement ombudsman recommendations and how the 90% awareness figure was derived.

Argues that the Department for Work and Pensions is resistant to implementing ombudsman recommendations due to the size of the compensation bill. He cites a Labour manifesto summary on WASPI women's injustice and criticises the Government for not offering any restitution.

Agrees with Sir Julian Lewis, emphasising that this issue is about dignity. He suggests that the Government should negotiate instead of rejecting restitution outright.

Thanks Rebecca Long Bailey for bringing forward the debate, highlighting pension inequality faced by women born in the 1950s. He emphasises that political battles may have changed but prejudice and unfairness still exist.

Supports justice for WASPI women, highlighting the need for Government to deliver on their promises. Emphasised that solidarity is not transactional but an obligation.

Congratulated Rebecca Long Bailey for securing the debate and highlighted the ongoing injustice faced by 1950s-born women. Emphasised the historical disadvantages these women have faced in their working lives, including pay inequality and pension opportunities. Urged the Government to reconsider the opportunity to discuss alternative ways of bringing resolution.

Expressed anger at the reneging on promises made in 2019 regarding compensation for WASPI women. Stressed that large numbers are still suffering poverty due to the injustice, demanding a fair settlement and immediate action.

Congratulated Rebecca Long Bailey on her speech and highlighted the lack of action despite previous promises. Emphasised the need for a mechanism to provide appropriate remedy as recommended by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Acknowledged the ongoing campaign for justice, highlighting the need for immediate action and a fair settlement. Emphasised the Government's failure to deliver on their promises and urged them to reconsider alternative ways of providing compensation.

Hayes emphasised the cross-party support for addressing the issue affecting WASPI women. He noted that the DWP’s communication failure led to maladministration, as recognised by the ombudsman. He urged the Minister to set an important precedent by acknowledging the injustice and considering a partial settlement.

McAllister detailed the impact on WASPI women in Scotland, citing specific cases like Liz and Maureen from his constituency. He highlighted the significant number of affected individuals across the UK and urged for a proper compensation scheme beyond an apology.

Jarvis spoke on behalf of 5,180 WASPI women in her constituency, recounting personal stories such as Chrissy's struggle. She criticised the government for ignoring the voices of affected women and urged a review to offer financial redress.

Championed WASPI women who have faced systemic inequalities and lower wages. Highlighted personal experience as a carer and her own struggle with state pension changes. Cited the need for decisive leadership to deliver justice, stressing that these women deserve better recognition of their contributions.

Supported WASPI women in his constituency by reading out specific comments from constituents highlighting the betrayal and frustration caused by government decisions. Emphasised the need for compensation based on ombudsman’s recommendations, stressing that finite resources should not be used as an excuse.

Described December last year as a shameful day when millions of women were betrayed by the government. Stressed the necessity for fair and proper compensation based on ombudsman’s recommendations, highlighting personal stories from constituents like Helen who faced significant hardship due to lack of notification.

Acknowledged that this is not a new issue but expressed hope for correction based on the ombudsman’s report. Highlighted the impact on 7,000 constituents in Northern Ireland who have been deprived of their planned life due to changes to state pension age.

The report rightly found that some WASPI women were not informed about the changes to their pensions and had made long-term financial plans based on the assumption that they would receive their state pension at 60. Many of these women lost all sources of income, met unexpected financial insecurity, and faced emotional tolls due to stress and depression brought about by financial uncertainty.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Salford on securing the debate, on campaigning on this issue, and on making sure that this debate came to the main Chamber. Women feel a sense of raw injustice and many feel a sense of shame, but it is not their fault. The Government must act now.

The hon. Member for Salford suggested that there could be another review of the system by the Minister for Social Security and Disability, but I do not think that the magic words, “Timms review”, will get the Government out of this hole. It is necessary to make some meaningful redress to the victims of the DWP’s maladministration.

The debate calls for a commitment to revisit and rectify the injustices faced by WASPI women when the public purse allows. Constituents are affected, and there is support for revisiting the issue even if it means delaying broader reforms.

Speaks about the discrimination and sexism faced by WASPI women in the workplace and beyond. Emphasises the need for justice to be served, citing examples of constituents who have been let down repeatedly.

Points out that Labour's manifesto commitments during opposition included compensation for WASPI women but questions how this is now being addressed by the current Government in light of previous promises.

The right hon. Member for Hayes raised his concerns about the consistency of the Minister’s speech compared to previous debates and expressed frustration over the lack of change in the Government's position.

The hon. Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale questioned whether the Government had modelled paying a flat rate to smaller cohorts within the 3.8 million women affected by pension changes, but was told that such models focused on injustice rather than income-based qualifiers.

The hon. Member for Salford and Eccles thanked colleagues for their contributions and emphasised the absurdity of the Government's position regarding letters being ineffective in informing women about pension changes. She urged the Minister to take action on this issue to achieve justice for 1950s-born women.