Thousands of women impacted by historic changes to the state pension "will not vote" for the Labour Party at the upcoming General Election due to Sir Keir Starmer's silence over a recently revealed injustice, campaigners claim.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign has hit back at Sir Keir Starmer over where he stands on the proposed compensation payout for those impacted by the retirement age equalisation between men and women.
In 2021, the Parliament and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guilty of "maladministration" over its handling of this change with many women not being sufficiently informed of it. This impacted their ability to prepare for retirement.
Earlier this year, the PHSO recommended a Level 4 payout sum for affected women, which is between £1,000 and £2,950, and urged Parliament to put legislate on the amount.
However, both the Conservative-led Government and Labour have yet to announce how much each party would award Waspi women if the ombudsman's reports are implemented.
House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt was slammed by campaigners for her "shocking response" to calls for a vote in Parliament in which she said the Tories were still "carefully studying" the findings.
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Waspi women may "not vote" for Labour, campaigners claim
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Labour has come under new scrutiny after its "open letter to pensioners" failed to mention the plight of the 3.8 million Waspi women who are believed to be impacted by this historic state pension injustice.
Campaigners have taken to social media to slam Sir Keir for his perceived inaction on the issue up to this point.
On X, formerly Twitter, the South Essex chapter of the Waspi campaign posted: "Women desperately need a commitment for fair compensation from Labour.
"A worrying silence is prompting many thousands of would be Labour voters to say they will not vote for you. Surely this cannot be what Keir Starmer wants this close to victory?"
The campaign's Devon chapter added: "Waspi women are still reeling from the effects DWP maladministration.
"Most do not receive full new state pension because the DWP maladministration included lack of information on National Insurance contributions. Put right the past before promising the future."
Over the weekend, shadow pensions minister Liz Kendall wrote an open letter to older Britons to ease any concerns they may have about their retirement if Labour returns to power.
She wrote: "With Labour, we will never put your pension or Britain's finances at risk. All our plans are fully funded, built on the principles of economic stability.
"This means that we can protect the triple lock, giving you the piece of mind you need to get on and enjoy the years ahead.
"That is what is on the ballot on July 4. It's time to end the chaos, turn the page and start rebuilding Britain."
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Campaigners are calling on policymakers to do more for women born in the 1950s WASPI The Conservatives have also pledged to keep the triple lock in place, which is the metric used to determine the annual rate hike to state pensions.
Payments rise by either the rate of inflation, average earnings or 2.5 per cent; whichever is the highest.
A DWP spokesperson previously told GB News: “We are considering the Ombudsman’s report and will respond in due course, having cooperated fully throughout this investigation.
“The government has always been committed to supporting all pensioners in a sustainable way that gives them a dignified retirement whilst also being fair to them and taxpayers.
“The state pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so as we delivered a further 8.5 per cent rise this month, increasing the state pension for 12 million pensioners. This has seen the full rate of the new state pension rise by £900."
