UK Government Faces Backlash Over Waspi Pension Ruling

The UK Government’s decision to once again deny compensation to millions of women affected by state pension age changes has reignited a fierce political and public debate, with accusations of betrayal, broken promises, and deep disappointment echoing across the country. On January 29, 2026, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed it would stand by its previous decision, refusing to pay compensation to women who say they lost out financially due to state pension inequality—a group widely known as the Waspi women.

The announcement, which came after the government considered several reports, including those from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, has been met with a chorus of criticism. According to The Times, this marks the second time Waspi women have been denied compensation, underlining what many see as a persistent refusal to address what they consider a historic injustice.

At the heart of the controversy are women born in the 1950s, who were caught off guard by rapid changes to the state pension age. Many say they were not given adequate notice or support to adjust their retirement plans, leaving them financially vulnerable. The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign has long argued that these women deserve fair compensation for what they view as a government failure to communicate and implement the changes properly.

Pat McFadden, the UK Work and Pensions Secretary, defended the government’s position in the House of Commons. He said, "A targeted compensation programme would not be practical," citing the difficulty of reliably verifying the individual circumstances of millions of women. McFadden went on to argue that a broader, flat-rate compensation scheme would be even less justifiable, stating, "A wider, flat-rate scheme could cost up to £10.3 billion." According to McFadden, "the vast majority of 1950s-born women already knew the state pension age was increasing" due to a comprehensive information campaign that included leaflets, education initiatives, GP surgeries, television, radio, cinemas, and online sources.

McFadden also pointed out that the government’s review led them to "the same conclusion on compensation" as his predecessor, Liz Kendall, had reached in December 2024. This continuity has done little to placate campaigners or political opponents, who accuse the government of ignoring the lived experiences and hardships of those affected.

Angela Madden, chairwoman of the Waspi campaign, did not mince words in her response. She accused the government of treating 1950s-born women with "utter contempt," a sentiment echoed by many campaigners and supporters. Madden’s frustration is shared by the Scottish Pensioners’ Forum, whose chair, David Edwards, called the decision "a clear opportunity to right a historic wrong" that was ultimately missed. Edwards emphasized, "Today’s decision will see approximately 3.6 million women across the UK let down—women who have worked hard, paid in, and played by the rules. These women have never asked for special treatment, they’re just asking for what is rightfully theirs, nothing more. Surely, they deserve that."

The political fallout has been swift and severe. Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, was among the most vocal critics, describing the government’s refusal as "deeply regrettable" and a "historic betrayal." Swinney, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), used the occasion to challenge Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to clarify his position on the matter, pointedly asking whether he would support pensioners in Scotland or stand behind Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whom Swinney accused of betraying voters. "These women were promised, in good faith, that the Labour Party would address when they got into Government this historic injustice, and it is just another example of the betrayal of individuals in this country by this Labour Government," Swinney declared during a heated First Minister’s Questions session. He went further, charging, "They used Waspi women as a prop for photo-ops and had no intention of delivering what they promised. It is a disgrace and they should be ashamed."

The political stakes are high, with a Holyrood election looming in May 2026. SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson, convener of Holyrood’s Finance Committee, described the move as "a new low, even for them," referring to the Labour Government. Kirsty Blackman, the SNP’s work and pensions spokeswoman at Westminster, was even more direct, claiming, "Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar cynically lied to the Waspi women to win votes at the last general election." Blackman accused Labour of making empty promises to the Waspi women, only to "sit on their hands when they could actually do something about it." She concluded, "Waspi women deserve so much better, they deserve fair and fast compensation."

The sense of betrayal is not limited to political leaders. The Scottish Pensioners’ Forum has stood "alongside the Waspi women" for years, fully endorsing their fight for justice. Edwards reiterated that this was not a plea for special treatment but a demand for fairness. The decision, he said, leaves millions of women feeling abandoned by a system they had supported throughout their working lives.

The government, for its part, maintains that it took the issue seriously, reviewing the situation in light of reports and public opinion. However, it insists that compensating only those who suffered injustice would be administratively impossible, while a blanket scheme would unfairly benefit those who had not been harmed. According to McFadden, "To specifically compensate only those women who suffered injustice would require a scheme that could reliably verify the individual circumstances of millions of women." He argued that a wider scheme "would simply not be right or fair, given it would be paid to the vast majority who were aware of the changes."

This stance has done little to quell the anger among Waspi campaigners and their supporters. With an estimated 3.6 million women affected across the UK, the issue is likely to remain a flashpoint, especially as political parties vie for support in the run-up to the Holyrood election. As Kirsty Blackman warned, "women who had lost out, along with their supporters, would ‘not forget that blatant broken promise from Keir Starmer’s Labour Party’."

For now, the Waspi women and their allies are left to ponder their next steps, determined not to let the matter drop. The government’s decision may have closed one chapter, but for many, the fight for justice is far from over.