A bill to make the DWP set out plans for compensating women affected by the WASPI (Women against state pension inequality) issue is to have its second reading in Parliament.

The bill was introduced by SNP MP Alan Brown, who thinks the WASPI women should get compensation of £10,000 or more.

He told MPs when first presenting the bill: “The lack of resolution for the 3.8 million WASPI women is a disgrace. Those 3.8 million women were given the bombshell that their state pension age was going to increase from 60 to 66 just as they were about to retire and it was too late to do any proper financial planning.

“Many were already in ill health or worse, and others had taken early retirement and were planning to get by until age 60, when they thought they would receive their state pension.”

He said that as a minimum, the pensioners should get at least level five in compensation, under the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s bandings, with payouts of between £3,000 and £9,950.

The State Pension Age (Compensation) Bill is to have its second reading in Parliament on Friday, April 19.

Mr Brown also said: “I have countless examples of constituents who would have put more into private pensions and who would have topped up National Insurance contributions.

“I have examples of those who have had to use their savings, who have missed out on holidays and who have generally struggled to get by because of that lack of notification. Let us not forget that many of these women are well-qualified.

“They are intelligent, yet they are made to feel that it is somehow their fault that they did not know. The DWP’s denials make it worse for these women.”

WASPI campaigners are calling on MPs to grant a debate and a vote on the question of whether or not to grant compensation.

The Backbench Business Committee has this week approved an application for there to be a debate in Parliament on the issue.

SNP MP Patricia Gibson told the committeee there was “frustration and anger” among WASPI campaigners that neither the Conservatives nor Labour had pledged any action.

She said: “This is an issue that the House has to debate. We cannot allow it to be the case that WASPI women have won the battle but don’t get the spoils of war.

“There’ll be different views across the house as to what that compensation might look like, and that’s all part of the debate.

“But I think the principle for compensation has to be established, and it has to be established quickly, because the longer this report goes unanswered, the more despair is setting in.”

A recent report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommended compensation of between £1,000 and £2,950, and urged MPs to take up the issue.

More than 230,000 members fo the public eople have backed an open letter to Commons leader Penny Mordaunt calling for MPs to get a vote on the question of compensation.

Angela Madden, chair of WASPI, said: “We will be writing to Penny Mordaunt, so will some MPs on our behalf and hopefully others, to put pressure on her to make time in the Parliamentary schedule for a debate on this issue.

“We have a lot of MPs who are supportive and want to have their say.”

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