South Shields MP calls for a Parliamentary debate on compensation for WASPI women

The Member of Parliament for South Shields, Emma Lewell-Buck, has called for a Parliamentary debate into whether WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women should be awarded compensation or not.

Ms Lewell-Buck put the question of a debate to Lucy Powell, Leader of the House of Commons, in the wake of the Labour Government ruling that it wouldn’t be following the advice of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to award compensation.

WASPI was founded in 2015 due to the way in which the state pension age for men and women was equalised following the 1995 Pensions Act.

The change was meant to be phased over ten years from 2010 for women born between 1950 and 1960 but this transition was sped by the the 2011 Pensions Act.

It meant that women would have to wait up to six years longer for their state pension and left some in financial hardship.

WASPI has been campaigning for the government to provide transitional payments to women born in the 1950s and for compensation to be paid to women who now receive a state pension but had to wait longer.

On Tuesday, December 17, the government revealed that it will be ruling out a financial compensation scheme for women affected, despite the recommendations of the Ombudsman.

When speaking about the decision, the Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, said the Government does not believe paying a flat rate to women at a cost of up to £10.5 billion would be a fair or proportionate use of taxpayers’ money.

Yesterday (Wednesday, December 18), both Emma Lewell-Buck and Kate Osborne, MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East, pledged with support to WASPI women despite the Government’s decision.

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Following that pledge, Ms Lewell-Buck asked in the House of Commons: “I’ll put on record that my mam is a WASPI woman.

“My right honourable friend will know full well the strength of feeling regarding this week’s announcement of no compensation for the WASPI women.

“The Ombudsman was clear. Parliament should make the decision on remedy. Parliament has not.

“Will my honourable friend please find time for a debate so we can do as the Ombudsman asked us to do?”

In response to the South Shields MP’s question, Mrs Powell stated that Members of Parliament can apply for debates on the matter if this wish but reinforced the Government’s stance on compensation.

She replied: “Well can I thank my honourable friend for that question and I know that this is a really big issue for many of our constituents and many women right across the country, which has spanned multiple parliaments.

“And I know that many will be very disappointed with the announcement that came this week.

“We don’t underestimate the strength of feeling and upset that people will be feeling and although I know it is difficult for people to hear but paying a flat rate compensation to all women born in the 1950s at a cost of up to ten-and-a-half billion pounds would not be a fair or proportionate use of public money.

“The Government doesn’t accept the Ombudsman’s findings around remedy being necessary in this case but colleagues can apply for debates on these matters in the usual way.”