The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign has accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of spreading “dangerous misinformation” over the impact of state pension age changes.
This row erupted after Starmer’s comments during Prime Minister’s Questions about how the changes were communicated to women born in the 1950s. Waspi campaigners have branded the Prime Minister’s claims as misleading and a distortion of the facts.
The dispute centres on Starmer’s assertion that “90 per cent of women were aware of the changes” to their state pension age. Angela Madden, the campaign’s chair, called the statement “an insult to millions of 1950s-born women who were blindsided by these changes”.
According to Waspi, the Ombudsman’s findings showed that 60 per cent of women had no knowledge their state pension age was increasing. “This isn’t just misleading; it’s an insult to millions of 1950s-born women who were blindsided by these changes,” said Madden.
Waspi explained that the 90 per cent figure cited by ministers only refers to women having a vague awareness that pension age changes might affect others in the future.
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Starmer’s comments at PMQs have sparked outrage among women campaigning against state pension inequality
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“The fact that 90 per cent of women had some general awareness of potential changes in the future does not mean they knew this would impact them personally,” Madden stated.
The campaign group called the Government’s use of statistics “dangerous misinformation, plain and simple.” In March 2024, the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) concluded that the Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) failure to directly inform affected women constituted “maladministration”.
According to the PHSO, this failure resulted in financial hardship and emotional distress for millions of women. The findings directly contradicted the Government’s position on awareness levels among affected women.
Waspi has maintained that the Labour’s interpretation of awareness statistics misrepresents the true situation. “The Government’s attempt to cherry-pick data to suggest otherwise is spreading dangerous misinformation,” Madden said.
The campaign group insists there is a crucial difference between general awareness of potential future changes and understanding how individuals would be personally affected.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has issued an apology on behalf of the Government for the handling of the pension changes. However, Kendall refused to commit to paying compensation to affected women.
The decision has sparked anger among campaigners and numerous Labour backbench MPs. Many Labour parliamentarians have publicly criticised the Government’s position.
“We are not giving up,” Madden said. The campaign’s chair added that a cross-party group of MPs was meeting to demand a vote in Parliament on the principle of compensation.
“Keir Starmer has not heard the last of this issue. The Labour Government must act now to address this injustice,” Madden declared. The campaign has called on MPs to support the Ombudsman’s recommendation for Parliament to intervene in the dispute.
More than 300 MPs have already publicly pledged their support for the campaign. Waspi is now seeking fresh legal advice following the conclusion of a six-year independent inquiry.
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When announcing Labour’s decision to MPs yesterday in the House of Commons, Kendall said: “To those women I say, this Government will protect the pensions triple lock so that your state pension will increase by up to £1,900 by the end of this Parliament.
“This Government will drive down waiting lists, so you get the treatment you need, with an extra £22billion of funding for the NHS this year and next. And this government will deliver the jobs, homes and opportunities your families need to build a better life.
“I know that – on this specific decision – many 1950s born women will be disappointed. But we believe it is the right decision, and the fair decision.”
GB News has contacted the DWP for comment.
