Overview
- More than 50 Labour MPs joined colleagues from the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats in a letter coordinated by Rebecca Long-Bailey pressing Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden to reconsider.
- The appeal follows the DWP’s decision to reject compensation for an estimated 3.5–3.6 million women born in the 1950s affected by how state pension age changes were communicated.
- The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman previously advised redress of roughly £1,000 to £2,950 per person, which signatories warn should not be ignored.
- McFadden told Parliament a targeted scheme would not be practical and argued most women already knew about the increase, adding that unsolicited letters would likely not have changed awareness.
- Campaigners point to FOI evidence showing 16 million largely general mailings in 2003–2006 rather than tailored notices, and they are calling for a binding Commons vote on compensation.