Wishart calls for UK Labour Government to pay WASPI compensation
Scottish Liberal Democrat and Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart has called for the UK Labour Government to pay compensation to the 1950s women impacted by changes to their state pension age. The group known as Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) were found, in a report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) to have been victims of maladministration by the Department of Work and Pensions.
A lack of timely information about state pension age changes has led to 1950s women’s pensions being severely adversely impacted due to changes they were not expecting. In December 2024 the new UK Labour Government stated that it would not pay compensation, as recommended by the independent PHSO report, to those affected.
Wishart spoke in two debates on the topic this week (a Scottish Government debate) and last week (a members’ business debate) and is a member of the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group for WASPI.
Speaking in the Scottish Government debate Ms Wishart said:
“Not only is this Labour Government’s decision cruel and unusual, threatening to allow millions of women across the UK to face poverty, undermining an independent institution that helps the functioning of the state, it is a betrayal of women who thought that voting Labour would see justice for the WASPI campaign.
“Before the 2024 General Election the Prime Minister was happy to be photographed with WASPI campaigners.
“The UK Labour Government must urgently change course and rethink this shameful decision.”
Beatrice Wishart’s speech during a members’ business debate on WASPI compensation Wednesday 15th January 2025
Beatrice Wishart’s speech during the Scottish Government’s WASPI compensation debate Tuesday 21st January 2025