Rachel Reeves says most Waspi women knew pension age was changing so compensation not needed
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said most Waspi women knew the state pension age was changing so it was not “the best use of taxpayers’ money to pay an expensive compensation bill”.
The government revealed on Tuesday it would not be compensating millions of women born in the 1950s – called Waspi women – who say they were not given sufficient warning of the state pension age for women being lifted from 60 to 65.
It was due to be phased in over 10 years from 2010, but in 2011 was sped up to be reached by 2018, then rose to the age of 66 in 2020.
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Several leading Labour politicians, including Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, said they would get compensation for Waspi women (Women Against State Pension Inequality) before they were in government.
However, they have all now said compensation, which would have cost up to £10.5bn, will not be provided.
Liz Kendall announced on Tuesday Waspi women would not be compensated, despite previously supporting it. Pic: PA
Ms Reeves became the latest, as she said: “I understand that women affected by the changes to the state pension age will be disappointed by the decision but we looked in full at the ombudsman recommendations and they said 90% of women did know these changes were coming.
“As chancellor, I have to account for every penny of taxpayers’ money spent.
“Given the vast majority of people knew these changes were coming, I didn’t judge that it was the best use of taxpayers’ money to pay an expensive compensation bill for something most people knew was happening.”
Rachel Reeves posed with Waspi women in support of their campaign for compensation in 2020. Pic: Waspi/Facebook
Earlier this year, an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) found thousands of women may have been adversely impacted by failures to adequately inform people of the change.
The watchdog suggested women should receive compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 – but the findings were not legally binding.
Following the government’s decision to not compensate the women, the ombudsman criticised the government.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, PHSO chief executive, told Times Radio: “It’s great that the government are saying that our intervention will lead to service improvements and it’s fair to say also that people who come to us, overwhelmingly, are motivated by wanting things to improve for other people.
“But what we don’t expect is for an acknowledgement to be made by a public body that it’s got it wrong but then refuse to make it right for those affected.”
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Waspi women said not providing compensation was a ‘bizarre’ move. Pic: PA
Angela Madden, chairwoman of the Waspi campaign group, said refusing to compensate those impacted was a “bizarre and totally unjustified move”.
She added: “An overwhelming majority of MPs back Waspi’s calls for fair compensation and all options remain on the table.
“Parliament must now seek an alternative mechanism to force this issue onto the order paper so justice can be done.”
Conservative Andrew Griffith, shadow business secretary, told Sky News it was “a big issue of betrayal” by the Labour government.
“I’m not sitting here saying we would necessarily have done something about it. That’s fair,” he said.
“But the point is this government has given everybody the impression that they would, and then they’ve come in, and now they’re saying they wouldn’t. That’s a big issue.
“I can understand people, particularly the Waspi women, feeling enormously let down by that.”
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Nigel Farage has confirmed he wants to deport women asylum seekers back to the Taliban in Afghanistan if he becomes prime minister.
The Reform UK leader’s position on the topic has not been clear, with him previously saying he would send women back to the fundamentalist regime that took over after western militaries withdrew, before now saying he would.
Mr Farage was speaking to Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby at the Reform UK party conference in Birmingham.
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When asked if he would “detain” women and children and “send them back”, the Clacton MP said “yes”.
Challenged on when he said in August that he was not “discussing” women and children, Mr Farage claimed this was a reference to his desire to seeing men detained on arrival in the UK.
At the time he said he was “very, very clear” on the “deportation of illegal immigrants”, adding: “We are not even discussing women and children at this stage – there are so many illegal males in Britain, and the news reports that said that after my conference yesterday were wrong”
Speaking today, Mr Farage claimed that the UK has a “duty of care” if a four-year-old arrives in a dinghy, for example – but not so for women and men.
“For clarity, those that cross the English Channel will be detained and deported, men and women,” Mr Farage went on.
“Children, we’ll have to think about.”
The Reform leader also rowed back on his pledge to stop all boats within two weeks if he is elected prime minister.
Speaking to the conference yesterday, Mr Farage said: “You cannot come here illegally and stay – we will stop the boats within two weeks of winning government.”
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But speaking to Beth Rigby today, he changed tack – saying “the passing of legislation” would be required.
He said the boats would then be stopped within two weeks, or sooner.
In the interview with Rigby, Mr Farage tried to claim he did not say he would end the boats within two weeks of “winning government”.
But the video of his speech, as well as the transcript released by Reform UK, clearly show him saying: “We will stop the boats within two weeks of winning government.”
When asked why he wouldn’t be able to stop the boats within two weeks of winning government, Mr Farage said it was impossible and “no one” can prevent them crossing the Channel.
The Reform UK leader said the law he wants to introduce will be called the Illegal Migration Act once it is passed by parliament.
He confirmed his agenda includes leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, shutting down asylum hotels and housing people at RAF bases instead, as well as deporting Channel migrants.
Mr Farage also claimed that deportation flights would also begin within two weeks of the law changing, and this combination of factors would stop people from wanting to travel from France.
This strategy all depends on Reform UK winning the next general election – which Labour does not have to call until 2029.
However, Mr Farage says he believes the government will collapse in 2027 due to economic pressure and other factors.
Reform are currently well clear of Labour and the Conservatives in the polling, and are targeting next year’s Welsh, Scottish and English local election to try and win more power in councils and national assemblies.
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