New DWP update on State Pension age compensation for WASPI women

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that MPs will be able to debate compensation for women affected by changes to their State Pension age next week.

Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds confirmed that Conservative MP Sir John Hayes has secured parliamentary time for a debate on the issue on Wednesday, January 15 in Westminster Hall - not the main Commons chamber.

Ms Reynolds confirmed the details in response to Scottish Liberal Democrat MP Angus MacDonald, who had asked if a debate would be scheduled as many MPs have called for an opportunity to discuss the DWP’s recent announcement that there would be no compensation scheme for an estimated 3.5 million 1950s-born women affected by changes to their State Pension age under successive governments.In a written response on Thursday, the Pensions Minister said: “Sir John Hayes MP (Conservative, South Holland and The Deepings) has secured a Westminster Hall general debate on the topic of ‘Compensation for women affected by changes to the State Pension age’ on Wednesday 15 January 2024.” While many will be disappointed that the debate will not be held in the larger arena of the Commons, Westminster Hall is expected to be packed with MPs keen to express their views on behalf of their constituents.You can watch the debate on Parliament TV here.The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) final report, published on March 21, 2024 stated that “Parliament must urgently identify a mechanism for providing that appropriate remedy” and recommended compensation equivalent to level four on its banding scale, which is worth between £1,000 and £2,950.However, on December 17, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told MPs there would be “no scheme of financial