WASPI women have received a compensation pledge ahead of July’s General Election. Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) campaigners have called for WASPI women to receive payouts after the Ombudsman’s damning report earlier this year.

In its election manifesto, the Liberal Democrats has stated: “The women affected by changes to their state pension age should receive an apology from the government and should be given proper compensation.”

Director of public affairs Becky O’Connor welcomed the measures to widen pension participation to gig economy workers who “often miss out on the benefits of automatic enrolment (AE)” and are at risk of retirement poverty due to “less traditional working patterns or employment contracts”.

“Removing the earning thresholds required to qualify for AE could help ensure these workers can build up their private pension savings earlier, reducing their reliance on the state pension in later life,” she said. O’Connor also welcomed the measure to compensate for WASPI women.

She added: “The Department of Work and Pensions must be held accountable for any shortcomings in fulfilling its obligation to guarantee transparent communication regarding pension changes, as these can significantly impact an individual’s retirement outcomes.”

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said ahead of Labour taking to the polls: “There are lots of things that a Labour government might like to do, but the state of the public finances and the dire need in our public services means that we won’t be able to do everything that we might like to do.”

She continued: “Our manifesto will be published shortly, but I’ve said we won’t put forward anything that is not fully costed and fully-funded and I have not set out any money for this (State Pension age compensation).”

The General Election will be held on July 4 with the Conservative Party languishing behind Labour.

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