The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign is hitting back at senior Tories for their "shocking response" to the historic state pension injustice suffered by millions of women across the country.
Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt's response to a letter from campaigners has come under fire as Waspi women are still waiting for the Government's response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's (PHSO) report.
Campaigners had called for MPs to debate and come to an agreement on the compensation payout women born in the 1950s should get, as per the findings of the PHSO's report.
However, Mordaunt's letter to Waspi activists said the Government is still "carefully studying" the ombudsman's recommendations and noted the "significant pressure" in scheduling debates in Parliament.
In her letter, the Cabinet Minister cited that the Backbench Business Committee will likely put forward a debate on this ongoing pensions issue next week on Thursday, May 16.
Mordaunt wrote: "The Government is committed to supporting pensioners in a sustainable way that gives them a dignified retirement whilst also being fair to them and taxpayers. We are carefully studying the ombudsman's recommendations having fulling cooperated with the investigation.
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WASPI campaigners have hit back at a letter from Cabinet Minster Penny Mourdant
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"The PHSO has noted in the report the challengers and the complexity of this issue. Once we have considered the report in its entirety, we will communicate our response."
In March, the PHSO determined it was Parliament's responsibility to agree on a compensation deal for women hurt by issues resulting from state pension age changes.
On social media, the Waspi campaign said: "This is the shocking response from Penny Mordaunt to our letter asking for time for a debate on Waspi compensation.
"The Government is not ready yet to make a proper statement, it seems, while one 1950s woman dies every 13 minutes as they prevaricate."
In 2021, the ombudsman found the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guilty of "maladministration" in its handling of the equalisation of the state pension age between the sexes.
Some 3.8 million women are believed to be impacted by this injustice which impacted many older people's ability to adequately prepare for their retirement and save sufficiently into their pensions.
Earlier this year, the PHSO's published its follow-up report which recommended a Level 4 amount of compensation to those affected which comes to around £1,000 and £2,950.
While Waspi campaigners welcomed the payout recommendation, this is far less than the £10,000 figure policymaker supporters in Parliament have lobbed for in recent months.
Following the PHSO's report earlier this year, Peter Aldous MP, vice-Chair State Pension Inequality for Women APPG, called for MPs to come to the "right conclusion" over the plight of Waspi women.
A petition titled "MPs must vote on Waspi compensation NOW" has nearly 230,000 signatures and hopes to get 300,000 names as campaigners hope to lobby the Government even further.
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Campaigners are calling on policymakers to do more for women born in the 1950s WASPI One woman who signed the petition wrote: "I am due compensation for the six years of pension I had stolen from me without even bothering to tell me.
"Also what is the point of an ombudsman if they can just be ignored at will."
A DWP spokesperson told GB News: "We will consider the Ombudsman’s report and 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 deliver a further 8.5 per cent rise in April which will increase the state pension for 12 million pensioners by £900.”
