The battle for compensation for WASPI women has taken a step forward today , as the Department for Work and Pensions settled the campaign’s judicial review claim out of court.
When then Secretary of State Liz Kendall decided last year to reject the conclusions of a six-year Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman inquiry, she said her decision was justified by “logical errors” in the Ombudsman’s report.
Kendall claimed that women would not have benefitted from earlier notice of changes to the state pension age. However, the Department for Work and Pensions has now admitted the Minister was not shown significant research, which seriously undermined the Department’s stance.
A special hearing had been scheduled for tomorrow to decide whether the judicial review trial slated for 9 and 10 December should proceed.
However, WASPI has won an agreement with the Government to obtain a speedy reconsideration of the Secretary of State’s decision, with the option to reinitiate legal proceedings if the government makes further legal errors.
Ministers have committed to make ‘best endeavours’ to reconsider within 12 weeks (by 24 February 2026) and to pay more than half of WASPI’s legal costs, leaving campaigners with a significant war chest to relaunch the judicial review if necessary.
Overall, through its judicial review challenge, WASPI has succeeded in laying bare a number of serious mistakes made by DWP including the failure to provide the minister with key research, which Mr McFadden accepted meant the rejection could no longer stand.
Commenting, WASPI Chair Angela Madden said:
“Yet again, WASPI has held its nerve and yet again, virtually at the steps of the court, the Government has backed down, this time accepting last year’s decision denying the huge injustice suffered by WASPI women simply does not withstand scrutiny.
“Today’s agreement on speedy and thorough reconsideration is welcome. But the Government should be in no doubt that WASPI stands ready to return to court if it yet again fails to do the right thing.
“Ministers have to front this up now and accept the reality of injustice meted out to 1950s-born women. Further delays and denials just will not do.
“We want to thank our supporters and donors who have generously and unwaveringly supported us through this latest stage of our challenge. The road to victory is long but we are determined as ever to win this fight.”
