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You may have seen that today, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall admitted to and apologised for a 28-month delay in sending letters to women affected by pension changes, but rejected any kind of financial payouts. The parliamentary ombudsman had previously recommended compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 to each of those affected.
This shameful decision shows that the new government is turning its back on millions of pension-age women who were wronged through no fault of their own, ignoring the Ombudsman’s recommendations, and that is frankly disgraceful. Moreover, it sets an extremely concerning precedent of the government ignoring the findings of an independent resolution process. Government budgets may be under pressure, but there is no point in having the Ombudsman make such a ruling if we do not respect its findings, which were themselves far from what the women affected were hoping for. I spoke about this in the House of Commons following the statement; you can find a video of my statement and question to the Secretary of State here.
The announcement is a day of shame for the government. The Conservative Party left our economy in a shambles, but asking wronged pensioners to pay the price of their mismanagement is simply wrong. The women involved have tirelessly campaigned for justice and deserve our admiration for their persistence; instead, the Government has failed them.
For years, Liberal Democrats have pushed the government to fairly compensate WASPI women in line with the Ombudsman’s recommendations. Today’s heartless decision cannot be allowed to stand; please know that I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues will be pressing ministers to give those affected the fair treatment they deserve.