Portsmouth City Council backs WASPI campaign as legal action against government begins

At a recent full council meeting, members approved a motion instructing the council leader to write to local MPs and ministers, highlighting the impact of the injustice faced by women born in the 1950s.

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign is fighting for compensation for women who were not properly informed about changes to the State Pension age, leaving many in financial uncertainty. Some were forced to keep working, rely on savings, or face financial hardship.

Speaking to councillors, Shelagh Simmons, Solent WASPI coordinator, said her campaign had been “treated unjustly” by successive governments and felt “vindicated” by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, who found the Department for Work and Pensions had made “serious” mistakes in how it communicated the changes.

To justify its decision, the government and prime minister claimed 90 per cent of WASPI women were aware of the changes based on a 2006 survey. However, the survey only measured general awareness, not personal impact, and included just 200 women born in the 1950s out of 1,950 respondents.

Simmons criticised the government for ignoring the Ombudsman’s call for financial compensation, instead resorting to “victim-shaming and blaming” and using “spurious statistics” to justify its “shocking decision.”

She added: “The Treasury has saved over £181bn through increasing our state pension age. We are asking for a fraction of that in compensation for state-level mistakes.

“The current Government accused the previous one of kicking us into the long grass, only to then kick us in the teeth.”

Local human rights activist Steph Richards called the issue one of the most “pressing injustices” in modern times, which has “irrevocably altered the lives” of millions of women.

She pointed out that many single, divorced, or widowed women had no other source of income, “resulting in a loss of independence and dignity.”

Recently the WASPI campaign took legal action against the Labour government, filing for a judicial review and calling for £10.5bn in compensation.

Richards proposed funding a staged compensation scheme through a 2 per cent sales tax on online retailers, which she said could generate £3bn annually.

She also highlighted “staggering profits” made in 2024 by major corporations, including HSBC, Shell, and BP, which reported earnings of £20bn, £15bn, and £12bn respectively.

“Many working-class people are wondering when this government is going to tax the rich. Where there is a will, there is a way,” she said.

During the meeting, councillor Kimberley Barrett spoke of her emotional response when the government rejected compensation on 17 December last year.

“I did have to leave the chamber, and I'm not ashamed to say there were a few tears. I was so upset because I've stood shoulder to shoulder with these fantastic women for nine years.

“I’ve seen the hardship they’ve gone through, the strength they’ve had to find to push through, and the support they give each other. I’ve spoken with WASPI women who have fought the good fight but, sadly, have since passed away.”

Barrett also criticised the government’s claim that 90 per cent of WASPI women were aware of the changes, pointing out that the Ombudsman found 60 per cent had no knowledge of them.

“It’s not just misleading—it’s an insult to the millions of 1950s-born women who were blind sided by these changes.”

The motion was carried with 33 votes in favour and five abstentions.