WASPI women could receive “fast track” compensation under a “simple” DWP payment plan

WASPI women have called for an urgent pension age compensation scheme from the new head of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). WASPI women are owed compensation from the DWP following an Ombudsman report earlier this year.

And women who have been affected by the historic injustices of underpayment want payments from the DWP under new minister Liz Kendall. Emma Reynolds has been appointed as the new pensions minister at the DWP under Ms Kendall.

Taking to Twitter, now X, WASPI wrote: “Congratulations on your appointment as Pensions Minister Emma. We look forward to working with you on the urgent consideration of the PHSO (Parliamentary and Health Service Solicitor) recommendations for WASPI compensation and the rapid implementation of a simple scheme.”

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Ms Reynolds confirmed her position in a post on X, saying: “Delighted to spend my first day meeting other colleagues and ministerial officials in my new role as pensions minister at the Department for Work and Pensions.” Helen Morrissey, head of pensions analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, said Reynolds’ appointment brought “enormous hopes” of bringing a more joined-up approach to pensions policy across both the Treasury and the DWP.

She added: “For years, the split has caused frustration and bringing in someone who straddles both departments can do a lot to make policy more coherent. It’s a challenging role and he’ll have to deal with a bulging inbox. Labour’s promised pension review – a wide-ranging effort to ensure the system works well for everyone.

“We expect this to include further moves towards strengthening the industry, as well as a focus on how pension investment can support the government’s growth mission.” Former pensions minister Steve Webb added: “In the past the two departments have not always been ‘joined’ when it comes to pensions policy, with the Treasury’s changes to pension tax cuts sometimes undermining the DWP’s efforts to boost pension saving.

“With a combined appointment there is the opportunity for pensions decisions to take full account of the entire pensions landscape. One risk, however, is that the Treasury’s desire to see pension assets used to promote macro-level economic growth could mean that the individual member. Perspective gets less attention than it should. This is something the new minister will have to guard against.”