MPs have worked with us since the start of the campaign by sponsoring debates, questions, private members bills and petitions to help us gain cross party support for our campaign.
-
Back Bench Business Debate, Commons Chamber (duration 3 hrs)
03/07/2025Rebecca Long Bailey, MP for Salford and co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on State Pensions Inequality for Women, opened the debate “Women’s State Pension age: Financial Redress” with a tribute to all the women who have been campaigning for more than a decade on this issue. Rebecca spoke eloquently about how we were disadvantaged, what the Government could and should do about it, how redress could be financed and urging the Government to do the right thing.
Many MPs stood up in support of the motion however Torsten Bell MP, Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, confirmed that the Government position had not changed since their statement of 17 December.
Rebecca closed the debate by quoting Sir John Hayes ” …in the name of decency, justice must be done” and John McDonell ” .. we are not going to give up and neither are the women”. She urged the minister “to get round the table with the women and present a package before Parliament that we can all support and celebrate”
You can read the full debate here
-
e-Petition debate in Westminster Hall (duration 3 hours)
17/03/2025Dr Roz Savage (Liberal Democrat) led a 3-hour debate in Westminster Hall to consider e-petition 700765 relating to compensation for women affected by state pension changes.
Read the full transcript here.
-
Westminster Hall Debate – duration 1.5 hours
15/01/2025Women’s changed State Pension age: Compensation – a debate tabled by Sir John Hayes (Conservative) to consider compensation for women affected by changes to the State Pension age. The debate was massively oversubscribed and members were asked at the outset to keep their speeches to 2 minutes.
You can read the full transcript of the debate here.
-
Statement, Commons Chamber
17/12/2024Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, delivered a statement to the house on the investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman into the way that changes to the State Pension age were communicated to women born in the 1950s.
We were shocked to hear that although she agreed with the Ombudsman’s findings on maladministration and apologised she did not agree with their findings on injustice or remedy and said that the Government would not pay compensation.
You can read the statement in full here
You can read the Government’s response to the PHSO final report here
-
Backbench Business Committee Debate: Duration 4 hours
16/05/2024Opposition day debate secured by Patricia Gibson (SNP): I beg to move – That this House notes the findings of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on Women’s State Pension age; and calls on the Government to deliver prompt compensation to women born in the 1950s who had their State Pension age raised.
Read the full transcript here.
-
House of Lord’s debate: following the Ministerial Statement read in the House of Commons
26/05/2024Baroness Sherlock (Labour) opened the debate with “My Lords, I am sure the House will join me in thanking the ombudsman and his staff for all their hard work on this report over a number of years. The product is a serious report that requires serious consideration. The ombudsman has rightly said that it is for the Government to respond but that Parliament should also consider its findings. As my honourable friend Liz Kendall said in the other place on this debate, we on these Benches will study the report and its findings carefully and will continue to take seriously the representations of those affected by these issues.”
Read the full transcript here.
-
Ministerial Statement: Women’s State Pension Age
25/03/2024Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions opened the debate. “With permission, I would like to make a statement to provide an interim update on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s investigation into the way that changes to the state pension age were communicated to women born in the 1950s. I am grateful to the ombudsman for conducting this investigation.”
Read the full transcript here
-
Westminster Hall Debate: Duration 1.5 hours
12/03/2024Jim Shannon (DUP) secured the debate. “I beg to move, That this House has considered compensation for women affected by state pension changes.”
Read the full transcript here.
-
House of Commons Questions: Women affected by State Pension age changes: Cost of Living
10/05/2023 -
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman issues Stage 2 report (final) and Stage 3 report (draft)
08/12/2022The PHSO issued the Stage 2 report to complainants and the Department of Work and Pensions. Even though it was a significant milestone in the Campaign, no statement was made in Parliament.
WASPI found significant shortcomings in the report and brought a JR against it. An out of court settlement was agreed with the PHSO who withdrew the report. The stage 3 draft report suggesting remedy was no longer valid.
Although there were no significant debates in Parliament at this time, supportive MPs kept on asking relevant questions to keep our campaign alive.
-
House of Commons Questions: State Pension Age: Women born in the 1950s
12/12/2022Helen Morgan (Lib Dem) asks a question about how the cost of living crisis is affecting WASPI women and will the minister do anything to help them.
Read the full transcript here
-
House of Commons Questions: Women’s State Pension Age: Additional Support
31/10/2022John McDonnell (Labour) and Alan Brown (SNP) ask the minister to meet with WASPI and to pay compensation respectively.
Read the full transcript here.
-
Business of the House: Ombudsman issued final report finding that the DWP committed maladministration in the communication of State Pension age changes for Women.
22/07/2021The PHSO issued the stage 1 report on 19 July 2021. No statement was made about this significant milestone for the campaign.
Andrew Gwynne (Labour): “I once said in a debate on the 1950s-born women’s pension issue that wasps are a nuisance. They are pests and they buzz around. If we bash them away, they get angry, and when they get really angry they sting us. The WASPI women are nuisances; they are pests; they will not go away; and they are stinging. This week, the ombudsman found maladministration in how the Department for Work and Pensions treated those women. Today, the House rises for the summer recess with no statement on this issue or an opportunity for Ministers to be questioned. There is great interest and support for this issue across party lines. I am co-chair of the all-party group on state pension inequality for women, along with the hon. Member for Waveney (Peter Aldous). Will the Leader of the House please guarantee that, in the first week back, DWP Ministers will come to the House and make a statement specifically on this issue? If not, what mechanisms does he think will be available to ensure that we make it happen?”
-
House of Commons Questions: Covid-19: Women born in the 1950s
22/07/2020Liz Twist (Labour) asked if the Government had assessed the effect Covid-19 had on the financial circumstances of 1950s women.
Read the full transcript here.
-
House of Commons questions: State Pension Equalisation: Financial
20/03/2020Liz Twist (Labour) asked the minister about financial support for women affected by the equalisation of the State Pension age.
Read the full transcript here.
-
House of Commons questions: State Pension age increase: Transitional arrangements
23/01/2020Justin Madders (Labour) and Patricia Gibson (SNP) about transitional arrangements for WASPI women and the effect the State Pension age increases had on WASPI women respectively.
Read the full transcript here.
-
House of Lords: Questions: Retirement age Women
02/02/2019Baroness Bryan of Partick highlights the impact of the State Pension age changes on women who can barely afford it.
Read the full transcript here.
-
Westminster Hall Debate: (Duration 2 hrs 10 mins)
22/11/2018Patricia Gibson (SNP) brought the debate and moved that “this house has considered State Pension equalisation for women.” Many MPs from all parties spoke passionately in our favour. Ms Gibson closed the debate by saying “A social contract has been broken, and I remind those in this place that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Read the full transcript here.
-
Statement in the house following the Opposition Day Debate on State Pension age
08/02/2018Guy Opperman (Under Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) opened this debate by reiterating the Government’s position. Jack Dromey (shadow minister for pensions) responded and several honourable members rose to support WASPI.
Read the full debate here.
-
House of Commons Questions: State Pension age Women
27/03/2017Rosie Cooper (Labour) and Diana Cooper (Labour) both asked about pension transition arrangements for women born in the 1950s. Several honourable members rose in support of WASPI women.
Read the transcript in full here.
-
Westminster Hall Debate (Duration 1.5 hrs)
09/02/2017Chi Onwura (Labour) moved “That this House has considered the effect of state pension changes on working-class women.” Several honourable members rose to speak on behalf of WASPI women.
Read the full transcript here.
-
Amendment debate, Commons Chamber (duration 2.75 hours)
30/11/2016Ian Blackford (SNP) led a debate to consider That this House is concerned that the Government is not taking action to alleviate the injustice facing women affected by the acceleration of the increase in the state pension age, despite the House previously voting in favour of such action.
Read the full debate here.
-
e-Petition debate, Commons Chamber (duration 3.25 hours)
24/02/2016Led by Owen Smith (Labour) the debate notes that the e-petition 110776, Make fair transitional state pension arrangements for 1950s women, has attracted more than 150,000 signatures; and calls on the Government to bring forward proposals for transitional arrangements for women adversely affected by the acceleration of the increase in the state pension age
Read the debate in full here.
-
Backbench Business debate, Commons Chamber (Duration 3.5hrs)
07/01/2016Led by Mhairi Black (SNP) led the debate to consider “That this House, while welcoming the equalisation of the state pension age, is concerned that the acceleration of that equalisation directly discriminates against women born on or after 6 April 1951, leaving women with only a few years to make alternative arrangements, adversely affecting their retirement plans and causing undue hardship; regrets that the Government has failed to address a lifetime of low pay and inequality faced by many women; and calls on the Government to immediately introduce transitional arrangements for those women negatively affected by that equalisation”
Read the full transcript here.