Andy Burnham backtracks on paying compensation to Waspi women

Andy Burnham backtracks on paying compensation to Waspi women He earlier said they ‘deserve some recompense’, but has now rowed back on that position - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has ruled out compensating women campaigning over changes to the state pension age, despite earlier signalling he could be open to the multibillion-pound spending commitment. Speaking at a hustings in Makerfield on Wednesday, Mr Burnham expressed his “uncomfortableness” with politicians who had supported the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign but then failed to deliver. He said that the women “deserve some recompense for the unfairness”, a comment widely interpreted as a hint that he might reconsider compensation if he became prime minister. However, Mr Burnham has since rowed back on that position. A spokesperson confirmed that he now “accepts the decision not to award compensation to the group is final”. While Labour was in opposition, senior party figures, including Sir Keir Starmer, had backed the campaign, which claims the way an increase in the state pension age was communicated was unfair. But in office, the party has refused demands for compensation from the group, most recently ruling out payments in January this year. At the hustings on Wednesday, hosted by the Manchester Evening News, Mr Burnham said: “I have long supported the campaign and I feel uncomfortable when politicians were all holding up their banner and then got into government and didn’t do anything. “So I stick by the campaigns that I support. I stuck by the Hillsborough families and I will stick by the Waspi women because they deserve some recompense for the unfairness.” But on Thursday, a spokesperson for Mr Burnham ruled out revisiting financial compensation for the campaigners and instead said he could consider giving them early access to free travel. They said: “Andy has always recognised the unfair way in which state pension equalisation was introduced. “As mayor of Greater Manchester, he supported Waspi women in the city-region with early access to concessionary travel, providing some recompense to them within affordability limits. “He accepts the final decision has been made in relation to financial compensation but has indicated an openness to considering similar schemes on the Greater Manchester model.” The Waspi campaign argues that women born in the 1950s should be compensated for receiving inadequate notice of a change in the law in 1995 that increased their state pension age from 60 to 65, bringing it in line with the pension age for men. But with the campaign estimating 3.6 million women were affected, the bill for compensation could run into the billions. A report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) recommended compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950, meaning the total could be more than £10 billion. The PHSO investigation found that while communication of the changes between 1995 and 2004 met the expected standards, the Government ought to have carried out a targeted campaign after that date, writing to affected women. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments