Politics / Wishart reassures WASPI women of Lib Dem support
MORE than 300,000 women in Scotland are losing on compensation payments they had hoped to receive as a result of changes to the state pension age, according to the Lib Dems.
Earlier this year, the new Labour government announced it would not compensate the WASPI (Women against State Pension Injustice) despite a commitment to the contrary while in opposition.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the £10 billion compensation bill could not be justified and would be better spent on improving public services.
Speaking ahead of a Scottish Parliament debate on compensation for WASPI women today (Tuesday), Shetland MSP Beatrice Wishart said the Lib Dems would continue to fight for the WASPI women.
She said data from the House of Commons Library suggests that 331,780 women in Scotland could be impacted by the Labour decision.
“These shocking figures show that hundreds of thousands of people in Scotland have been betrayed by the UK Government’s decision to not compensate WASPI women,” Wishart said.
“The UK Government has turned its back on millions of women who were wronged through no fault of their own, ignoring the independent Ombudsman’s recommendations, and that is frankly disgraceful.
“For years, Liberal Democrats have pushed the government to fairly compensate WASPI women in line with the ombudsman’s recommendations.
“The Conservatives left our economy in a shambles, but pensioners shouldn’t be asked to pay the price. The Liberal Democrats will fight for WASPI women. The UK Government must urgently change course and rethink this shameful decision.”
Gradual changes to the pension age have seen some women, who were born in the 1950s, placed in a position where they may have had to work years more than anticipated before being able to claim the state pension.
The government had previously conceded there had been delays in sending out letters to women regarding changes to the pension age.
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