Millions of women caught up in the state pension age scandal could be heading back to court after Waspi campaigners confirmed plans for a fresh legal challenge against the Government.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign said it is pressing ahead with a new High Court fight after ministers ruled - for a second time - that compensation would not be paid to women affected by changes to the pension age.
Campaigners warned Labour it risks a major voter backlash if it continues to refuse payouts, with Waspi women and their families representing a powerful voting bloc in hundreds of marginal seats.
Who are the Waspi women?
The latest escalation comes after years of anger from women born in the 1950s who say they were not properly informed about increases to the state pension age, leaving many facing financial hardship and delayed retirement plans.
In January, ministers again rejected compensation despite mounting pressure following a damning report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
The row intensified after the rediscovery of a 2007 Department for Work and Pensions evaluation which reportedly led officials to stop automatically sending pension forecast letters to women affected by the changes.
Waspi campaigners previously warned they would pursue legal action, arguing there were significant “legal errors” in the Government’s handling of the issue.
Now the group says preparations for a fresh High Court challenge are already under way.
Angela Madden, chairwoman of the Waspi campaign, accused ministers of making a “political choice” by refusing compensation.
She said: “The Government has had every opportunity to do the right thing for Waspi women.
“Instead, they have made a political choice that risks alienating voters in hundreds of marginal seats across the country.”
Referring to Labour’s recent local election losses, Ms Madden said the party faced a stark warning ahead of the next general election.
She added: “The party now has a clear choice: listen to Waspi women and compensate them fairly, or face the consequences at the next general election.
“We will not be ignored, and we will not give up this fight.”
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The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman previously suggested compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950 each could be appropriate for women affected by failures in the way pension age changes were communicated.
But the Government has continued to resist calls for a compensation scheme.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson said ministers had already accepted maladministration and apologised to affected women.
The spokesperson added that the Government’s focus was now on improving how the DWP communicates state pension changes in the future.
