Both Labor and Conservatives refuse to commit to compensating Wasp

On Sunday morning, neither the Conservatives nor Labor would commit to compensating WASPI women, despite the release of a damning report calling on the government to pay out billions to those unaware of state pension increases.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Labor Party leader Anneliese Dodds both refused to say whether they would compensate those who were found by the parliamentary and health service ombudsman after the Department for Work and Pensions failed to adequately communicate changes to state governments. People who suffer financial losses. Pension age.

The chancellor said the issues highlighted by the Women Against State Pensions Inequality (Waspi) campaign were “really more complex” than other issues promised reparations, such as the bloody scourge of infection and the Post Office Horizon scandal, adding there was “no secret” Treasury. “

The Labor Party chief also refused to commit to compensation for the women affected.Working with British Broadcasting CorporationMs Dodds said: “These women deserve respect, that’s the most important thing [thing].

She added: “I think Laura, if I were sitting in your studio, I would say, pull out of the air, that’s exactly how compensation is supposed to work, or other elements of dealing with The Wasp. ….. Frankly, I don’t think they would believe me and they shouldn’t believe me.”

The comments are likely to anger campaigners and MPs in their own party, who are calling for compensation for the women involved.

Campaigners are demanding action on the report and have warned that if Rishi Sunak listens to the ombudsman’s findings he will seek the votes of women when he travels to the country later this year.

Asked whether the government had a responsibility to leave the “huge unpaid bills” to the next parliament, Mr Hunt said: “We received the ombudsman’s report on Thursday but we also received reports from the High Court and the Court of Appeal .In 2020, the document said the Department for Work and Pensions acted fully in compliance with the law and without discrimination.

“So it seems to be saying something different, and we really need to get to the bottom of the apparent difference between the two.”

He added: “We want to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, but there is no secret treasury.

“The compensation we pay has to come from other taxpayers, so it does take time for us to achieve fairness.”

PHSO has suggested the cost of compensation could be between £3.5bn and £10.5bn, although campaigners are pushing for a higher figure.