Killing off the triple lock will be a long drawn-out affair, but I suspect it won’t have anything on the Waspi decision.
Campaigners expected a verdict last year. Then they reckoned it would come this summer. It’s September now and we’re still waiting.
The DWP is sticking to its guns, stating that the Government decided to equalise state pension age for men and women more than 25 years ago, as a “long-overdue move towards gender equality”.
It says it’s been supported by both the High Court and Court of Appeal, which found it acted entirely lawfully and did not discriminate on any grounds.
Ultimately, Parliament will decide.
Waspi campaigners know the Ombudsman’s ruling will play a huge part in MPs’ decision.
I suspect the Ombudsman knows that too. It also knows just how little politicians want to hand any money to Waspi women, given current budget issues.
It’s walking into a political storm. No wonder it’s taking its time.
With MPs having ultimate say, blanket compensation to all affected Waspi women seems unlikely. Instead, women may have to prove individually that they suffered injustice, which will take months or even years, if they can prove it at all.
How can you prove you weren’t told something?
Waspis have been battling for a decade now. The longer it all takes, the fewer women will be in a fit state to claim compensation. Even more of them will have died. Which is the only thing that will stop them fighting.
