Fuming Labour MPs accuse Cabinet ministers of betraying WASPI women by denying them compensation
LABOUR MPs yesterday accused Cabinet ministers of betraying Waspis by denying them compensation over state pension changes.
Diane Abbott said the Government had broken a promise made in opposition to 3.8million women, while Rachael Maskell said some MPs were “in shock”.
PM Keir Starmer, Deputy PM Angela Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves were pictured previously backing Waspis (Women Against State Pension Inequality).
Those born between 1950 and 1960 were hit when their pensionable age rose from 60 to 65 in 1995.
The Parliamentary ombu2dsman said each should receive up to £2,950 for the failure to communicate the reforms.
Sir Keir yesterday said taxpayers could not afford the £10.5billion payout and most of those affected knew of the change.
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Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour had “played politics” with Waspis for years.
She said: “For years the Prime Minister and his Cabinet played politics with the Waspi women.
“The Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) said Conservatives were stealing their pensions.
"She promised to compensate them in full, another broken promise.”
The women represented were born between April 6, 1950, and April 5, 1960.
The WASPI campaign was set up in 2015 in a bid to help those affected by the change in state pension age.
Campaigners say they agree with the equal retirement age between men and women and are not calling for a return to the former retirement age.
But they say they do not accept the unfair way the changes to the state pension age were implemented with "inadequate" or "no notice".
Many women had made life plans based on when they thought they were going to be able to retire.
When this was then pushed back, it left them in financial hardship as they waited extra years to receive their pension.
Millions of women suddenly faced unemployment, zero-hours contracts and a loss of independence, according to the group.
Some of the worst affected were the 300,000 women born between December 1953 and October 1954, who were made to wait an extra 18 months before they could retire.