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Waspi activists meet outside the Royal Courts of Justice

Waspi activists meet outside the Royal Courts of Justice

Waspi activists met outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Monday to intensify their battle for compensation.

The women’s pension inequality group against the State is seeking a judicial review to force the Government to reconsider their decision to rule out a compensation package for women affected by the way in which changes in the era of the state pension were communicated.

A previous report by the defender of the parliamentary people and health service (PSHO) suggested compensation that varies between £ 1,000 and £ 2,950 could be appropriate for each of those affected.

But in December 2024, the Government said that, although it accepted the discovery of the Ombudsman of Mala Administration and apologized for having a written delay to women born in the 1950s, a general compensation scheme, which could cost taxpayers up to £ 10.5 billion, cannot be justified.

The activists said they have raised more than £ 150,000 in recent weeks to finance a challenge of the Superior Court.

The president of Waspi, Angela Madden, said: “We do not want to take legal actions, but we have been forced to do so due to the total denial of government justice.”

Activists’ lawyers argue that government reasons to conclude that people should not receive any remedy are a violation of legal principles.

Waspi said his legal representative Bindmans and the judicial review documents are being presented before actions are presented.

The group expects an initial judicial hearing to take place on a later date.

Angela Madden, Waspi president
Angela Madden, president of Waspi, said that the government has the opportunity to “move around the table and participate significantly with us” (Victoria Jones/PA)

Mrs. Madden said: “The Government has the opportunity to move around the table and participate significantly with us. If they do not, they will have to continue defending the indefensible, but this time in front of the superior judges. “

A government spokesman said: “We do not comment on live litigation.

“We accept the discovery of the Ombudsman of Mala administration and we have apologized for having a 28 -month delay in the writing of women born in the 1950s.

“However, the evidence showed that only one in four people remembered having read and received letters that did not expect and that by 2006 90% of women born in the 1950s knew that the state pension age was changing.

“The government cannot justify paying a compensation scheme of £ 10.5 billion at the expense of the taxpayer.”

Waspi activists with a banner outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London
Waspi activists deployed a banner outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London (Haixin Tan/PA)

The meeting outside the Royal Courts of Justice on Monday afternoon, Debbie de Spon, Waspi Communications Director, said: “We believe that government reasons for refusal are unfair and illegal.”

“We wanted to be here today because it is the place to show our seriousness about making a legal challenge.”

Mrs. Madden added: “We have thousands of members of the Waspi campaign, and we have raised more than £ 150,000 in two weeks.

“So they have given us a very clear message that they want to see justice, so it is in their name that we are here today.”

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