A councillor has branded the UK government’s decision not to pay any compensation to WASPI women, as a “slap in the face”.
SNP Councillor Malcolm Mitchell, who represents the Garscadden/Scotstounhill ward, has hit out at what he believes to be ‘hypocrisy’ from the Labour Government after the announcement on Tuesday.
The 1995 Pensions Act and subsequent legislation raised the state pension age for women born on or after April 6, 1950.
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) investigated complaints that, since 1995, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to provide accurate, adequate and timely information about areas of state pension reform.
It recommended compensation at a level of between £1000 and £2950 per person, as well as saying the DWP should acknowledge its failings and apologise.
Despite this, Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told the House of Commons that the proposed compensation package of £10.5 billion was not “fair or value for taxpayers’ money”.
Cllr Mitchell believes this announcement will have come as ‘little surprise to women, particularly in Glasgow’.
He said: “It is a slap in the face. So many women have been unfairly treated by successive governments on this issue.
“I have many constituents who have lost out due to these changes. Women in Glasgow are well used to being discriminated against by Labour.
“Their legacy of pay discrimination against female council staff has left Glasgow Council Tax payers footing a bill of almost £1 billion.”
In September, a motion was brought to a meeting of Glasgow City Council concerning a reported ‘lack of progress’ on WASPI compensation.
It was raised by Cllr Mitchell who also criticised the cut to the Winter Fuel Allowance.
Speaking about this, he added: “I believe there is a worrying pattern emerging in how the Labour Government treats pensioners.
"First it was a cut to the Winter Fuel Allowance, now the lack of compensation for WASPI women, this new Labour Government has set itself up as anti-pensioner.
"Numerous Labour politicians, including our own MP in Glasgow West, Patricia Ferguson, have previously expressed support for WASPI women.
"The hypocrisy is astounding, while the words from Labour may be warm, their policies mean many of our citizens won't be this winter."
Patricia Ferguson, MP for Glasgow West told the Clydebank Post that the decision not to compensate WASPI women is “extremely disappointing”.
She said: “I have long supported WASPI women and their campaign and will continue to do so.
“On Wednesday, I attended a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on WASPI women where we discussed how to take the campaign forward in light of the government’s extremely disappointing announcement.”
The UK Government has been contacted for comment.
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