Chairman of the Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign, Angela Madden, has voiced confidence that Prime Minister Andy Burnham will deliver on a pledge to compensate approximately 3.5 million women born in the 1950s. These women were impacted by inadequate notice regarding increases to their state pension age, a change that significantly affected their financial planning.
Madden, 72, believes Burnham is receptive to their concerns and stated, "if he can do something, he will." She acknowledged that Burnham's earlier suggestion of compensation being limited to "concessionary travel" might have caused concern, but interpreted it as an indication that the government would offer some form of redress, even if the exact form was yet to be determined. "What we now need to do is sit around a table with Government and talk about what the options are," Madden said. She added that Burnham has "a golden opportunity to prove he is a man of the people" by working with the Waspi women.
Earlier this month, Madden and fellow campaigner Janet Fulster sent a second letter to Burnham urging him to demonstrate the "political will" to resolve the issue. They are advocating for "fair and proportionate" redress, considering the nation's financial standing. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, following a six-year investigation, recommended compensation ranging from £3.5 billion to over £10 billion in early 2024. The investigation found the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) guilty of "maladministration" for failing to provide adequate and timely information about state pension age increases during the late 1990s and early 2000s. This lack of information left many women unable to adjust their finances, with devastating consequences, particularly for those solely reliant on their state pension.
The state pension age changes were initiated by the 1995 Pensions Act, which gradually increased the age for women from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020. A subsequent 2011 Pensions Act accelerated the qualifying age to 65 for women by 2018. More recently, the state pension age for both men and women increased to 66. Madden expressed disappointment with the previous Labour government under Keir Starmer, which she felt betrayed the campaign's trust. Despite Labour's prior support for Waspi's calls for compensation while in opposition, the issue was omitted from the party's 2024 election manifesto. The then-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, rejected the ombudsman's recommendations, deeming the compensation an "unfair or proportionate use of taxpayers' money" and suggesting most women were already aware of the pension age changes.
Burnham, before becoming Prime Minister, had stated in early June that he had "long supported" the Waspi campaign and expressed discomfort with politicians who supported the cause in opposition but failed to act once in government. He drew a parallel to his support for the Hillsborough families, indicating a commitment to standing by the Waspi women. Madden contends that the £10 billion figure cited by Labour was intended to exaggerate the financial burden on taxpayers. She proposed that compensation could be a one-off payment, potentially spread over two to three tax years to ease the immediate fiscal impact. Furthermore, she suggested that women would need to apply for compensation, noting that some, like former Prime Minister Theresa May, might already have been aware of the changes and thus not claim.
Madden shared her personal experience, having to stop working at age 54 to care for her ill mother, only to later learn her state pension would be delayed by five years. While her husband's job provided financial support, she argued that he should not have had to bear this responsibility. She believes that "wrongs must be righted" regarding the historical disadvantage faced by women in pension provisions.
While Madden anticipates no immediate mention of Waspi compensation in the upcoming October Budget, she remains hopeful for a government commitment within the next year. She highlighted strong public backing, with approximately 80 percent of the public supporting the campaign, alongside 100,000 members and 150,000 social media followers. "A Waspi woman dies every 13 minutes," she stated, emphasizing the urgency of the situation, with an estimated 450,000 having died since the campaign began 11 years ago.
Downing Street has acknowledged the ombudsman's finding of "maladministration" and issued an apology to affected women. The DWP has stated it has learned lessons and published an action plan to improve communication regarding state pensions. Millions of women are awaiting a decision from Prime Minister Burnham.