One WPC members during the evidence session
The WASPI women’s explanation to the Work and Pensions Committee over their claim for compensation for their injustice didn’t meet with universal approval, the above photo is representative of the body language of one of the members of that committee.
I was left wondering why, after March’s events, the leaders of the WASPI campaign were arguing for parliamentary action. As the Work and Pensions Committee admitted, they may have influence , but they don’t have power
The WASPI women’s complaint has been upheld by the Parliamentary Ombudsman and you can watch it from this link if the click through from the tweet below is not working.
🕛 12.05pm, Tuesday
We’ll be examining the report on women’s State Pension age, recently published by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman @PHSOmbudsman
Learn more and watch live: https://t.co/xM3X6EU2iw
— Work & Pensions Committee (@CommonsWorkPen) May 2, 2024
The request for “tailored compensation” from the WASPI women is based on the settlement being quick and paying according to the scale of loss to women. It is not a request for a means-tested compensation , nor is it an approach for a “one size fits all” approach.
Debbie Abrahams suggestion that an interim payment be made now on the basis that one WASPI woman dies every 13 minutes. This seems sensible.
It is clear that a Windrush style compensation payment (one that takes several years to arrive) is not appropriate. The BSPS redress scheme is an example of an overly sophisticated approach which has backfired as it is being gamed by those who are supposed to be paying the compensation.
Parliament now has a leading rule in making compensation happen but they are not obliged to do so. The expectations of the Work and Pensions Committee can also make recommendations but they do not necessarily lead anywhere. Justice for the WASPI women, as outlined in the PSHO report, is still far from certain.
Unless one political party decides to embrace WASPI, their issue looks like being kicked into the long-grass for a while.
Their problems is that they have no high level sponsor to carry their flag when manifestos are being drawn up and so they are getting sympathy but no action.
We need someone within this moribund rump of a Government to take a decision, sort out an interim payment scheme and commit their party, should it succeed at the imminent general election , to a proper compensation scheme, along WASPI lines. The campaign’s solution is clear and it is one that most of us can bet behind.
Is there political will for WASPI to overcome apathy and some overt hostility on the backbenches?