21 May 2024
Aldous pledges support for compensating WASPI women

Peter Aldous backs calls in Parliament for the Government to compensate women affected by State Pension age changes.

Peter attended a House of Commons Backbench Business debate alongside more than thirty MPs across the political spectrum to urge ministers to provide compensation to more than 3.6 million affected women.

The Women Against State Pension Inequality-WASPI- Campaign is demanding government responds to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report which stated affected women are owed compensation.

One affected woman dies every 13 minutes, with 280,000 having passed away since the WASPI campaign began.

Women in Waveney and across the country had their retirement plans thrown into chaos with some women given just twelve months’ notice of a six-year State Pension age increase.

Peter spoke of the hardships many women they had spoken to face locally. There are are more than 5,000 WASPI women in each constituency on average.

Across the country, tens of thousands of women were plunged into poverty, with many forced to sell their homes to make ends meet.

On Wednesday, the Work and Pensions Committee backed WASPI campaigners’ calls for the Government to bring forward financial redress proposals before the summer Parliamentary recess.

Peter said:

“It was brilliant to see such strong support for WASPI women from all parties. This is a cross-party issue affecting 3.6 million women and justice must be delivered.

“There should be no more undue delay, women have suffered long enough. The Ombudsman placed justice in the hands of Parliament and now it must be delivered.

“Ministers should work quickly with WASPI representatives to ensure fair and fast compensation is paid to those affected as soon as possible.”

Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) Chair, Angela Madden, said:

“We are very grateful to Peter for attending the debate and representing WASPI women both in Waveney and nationally through advocating for fair and fast compensation.

“The Parliamentary Ombudsman’s report made clear recommendations, WASPI women are owed compensation that must be delivered without delay.

“Government has had two months to respond to the report, but we are still met with silence. The mood of the House is behind WASPI, and ministers must share a financial redress scheme with MPs for a vote as soon as possible.”