More progress for WASPI campaigners – hopes raised for Lewes women
Almost 6,000 1950s born women in the Lewes constituency may be affected by an imminent Government rethink as to whether they are due compensation for lack of notice that they would have to wait up to six more years for their state pensions.
In December last year the then Secretary of State for Work & Pensions Liz Kendall announced that no compensation would be paid despite the Ombudsman recommending it, although the Government did accept that there had been maladministration and the women were entitled to an apology.
But on 11 November her successor Pat McFadden announced to the House of Commons that new evidence meant that he would look at the matter afresh. This was research commissioned by the Department for Work & Pensions on how many women would have benefitted from earlier letters informing them their state pension age had changed which, he said, had been withheld from the previous Minister.
This U-turn follows a Judicial Review initiated by the Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign which had been listed for a hearing on 9th and 10th December. This will no longer go ahead because the Government has now committed to completing its reconsideration within 12 weeks and to considering the whole decision afresh, taking into account all relevant evidence as well as paying over half of WASPI’s legal costs. This leaves WASPI with the resources to re-launch a judicial review challenge if the Government makes further legal errors in its new decision.
“This is a major success for WASPI and would not have happened without WASPI’s legal action,” said Janet Blackman, Co-ordinator of Lewes WASPI Group. We launched our campaign locally nearly seven years ago when the national campaign was already in full swing. It’s taken a long time to get this far.
“The Government has now raised our hopes by saying quite rightly that it will consider the matter of compensation afresh. Our hopes must not be dashed again!
“We know the Government can do the right thing. It is already compensating for the injustices experienced by the victims of the contaminated blood scandal, the postmasters who suffered losses due to faulty accounting software and it has revised the Windrush compensation scheme. It’s time the WASPI women were treated fairly too.”
James MacCleary, MP for Lewes said: “Thousands of women across the Lewes constituency were blindsided by sudden changes to their state pension age and have spent years fighting simply to be treated with basic fairness. This latest development is a testament to the determination of the WASPI campaigners, including our dedicated Lewes group who have refused to be ignored.
“The government was wrong to dismiss compensation out of hand last year, especially after accepting there had been clear maladministration. Now that ministers have agreed to look again at the evidence they previously overlooked, they must use this opportunity to put things right.
“These women have waited long enough. The government must deliver a fair and timely compensation scheme so that those affected finally get the justice they deserve”.
The deadline for the government to announce a fresh decision is 24th February 2026.