Waspi campaigners have lobbied Governments for compensation following historic changes to the state pension
State pensioners are demanding action from Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey over historic compensation payout claims.
Women Against State Pension Age Inequality (Waspi) campaigners have today written to the Labour Government, pressing for a meeting to discuss payouts for millions of women born in the 1950s.
The letter, penned by Waspi chair Angela Madden, calls on the new Labour leadership to engage directly with the campaign group to deliver "fair redress" for 3.5 million women who were not properly informed about rises to their state pension age.
Ms Madden's correspondence underscores personal commitments Burnham made during the Makerfield by-election, when he pledged to tackle the injustice facing WASPI women.
The campaign group says it wants to collaborate with ministers on developing a solution that works for affected women while remaining realistic about the pressures on public finances.
During the Makerfield by-election campaign, Mr Burnham met face-to-face with Waspi campaigners and gave his word that he would sit down with them to address their fight for justice.
At a Manchester Evening News hustings, the now-Prime Minister expressed unease with politicians who champion causes while in opposition but walk away from them upon entering government.
Although Mr Burnham's aides subsequently sought to temper expectations around a compensation package that could reach as high as £10billion, his commitment to meeting campaigners to explore redress has not been withdrawn.
The campaign group has also stressed the importance of early engagement from the Chancellor in shaping options that can realistically be delivered within the limits of public spending, ensuring affected women are not left waiting any longer for a resolution.
Waspi represents women who suffered as a result of the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) historical failure to adequately notify them about changes to the age at which they could claim their State Pension.
The campaign gained significant momentum in 2024 when the Parliamentary Ombudsman issued compensation recommendations, only for then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to face a backlash after declining to act on them.
However, the potential bill for compensating all affected women has been estimated at up to £10billion, a figure that Mr Burnham's team has been cautious about committing to.
Ms Madden said: "We were grateful to receive personal assurances from Andy during the Makerfield by-election that addressing this injustice was something he was committed to carrying out."
She added: "While recognising the new Prime Minister has a long list of things to fix, we are now asking him, alongside the Chancellor, to make good on that promise, and to sit down with WASPI to determine what redress for 1950s-born women looks like."
The WASPI chair pointed to years of broken promises, stating: "For far too long, Waspi women have been let down by Governments of all colours and are understandably desperate to see this long-running injustice put right. Waspi, and millions of others, are hoping Andy can turn this around."
She described the campaign as fundamentally pragmatic, declaring: "We are absolutely determined to find a solution that is fair to both affected women and the taxpayer."
