Hampshire WASPI woman demonstrate outside Westminster

Members of Solent & Isle of Wight Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) joined others in Parliament Square at the 'WASPI Can't Wait - Compensate!" demo.

They were there urging action on a report that was released in March by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) that women born in the 1950s suffered injustice due to the Department for Work and Pensions’ failure to communicate life-impacting changes to their State Pension age, and should be compensated.

Protesters outside Westminster (Image: Solent WASPI) READ MORE: National state pension inequality campaign scores victory in legal challenge

Armed with pots, pans and whistles, the WASPI women demonstrated during Rachel Reeve’s speech. While she announced compensation for victims of other injustices, she did not mention the WASPI case.

Solent WASPI coordinator Shelagh Simmons said: "We very much welcome the news on compensation for victims of the Infected Blood and Post Office scandals. But we are disappointed nothing was said about us, despite clear recommendations from the Government's own watchdog.

“They were fully supportive in Opposition, so we were hoping a Labour Government would move more quickly. The PHSO considered the issue for 6 years and came to a clear conclusion. Yet all these months later, Ministers say they need to give it ‘full consideration’.”

It is estimated that nearly 300,000 affected women have died since the campaign started 9 years ago, 25,000 of whom have died since the Ombudsman’s report was published in March.

A minute’s silence was held for them on Wednesday.

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Ms Simmons continued: “Emma Reynolds rightly points out that she is the first Pensions Minister to meet with WASPI. She says they are not going to ‘kick this into the long grass’. And Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, states they are working on this ‘at pace’. These are positive statements, but we don’t need nebulous phrases, we need concrete action. Time is not on our side, so this is urgent.

“There are hundreds of MPs from across the House, including our Solent region, backing fair and fast compensation. On Wednesday, our presence showed the strength of feeling there is that this injustice must be remedied. Now Ministers must deliver.”

WASPI Chair Angela Madden said: “Millions of women’s retirement plans were thrown into chaos, many suffering extreme financial and mental hardships and this is why we are here today. Affected women have been vindicated by the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s report. Parliament must compensate all affected women.”