A Conservative MP backing the WASPI campaign has placed the blame for the DWP compensation controversy on a previous administration.
John Penrose MP has pointed out that it was under a previous Labour Government – led by Sir Tony Blair – that the DWP failings took place – but acknowledged that his Government needs to act soon on the issue.
He was asked by Express.co.uk if the lack of action on the question of compensation could affect the Tories‘ chances of winning the General Election.
He commented: “The Ombudsman’s report says the original problem was caused by a previous Labour Government, so people won’t blame the Conservatives unless we take too long to roll out a solution.
“Everyone understands that designing a fair answer won’t be easy, because the Ombudsman says women suffered different amounts of injustice.
“So it’s reasonable to give ministers a bit of time to work through all these issues, but not too much. We can’t afford any foot-dragging.”
He is one of several MPs who told Express.co.uk last week that the Government needs to act on the issue.
Last month, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman published its long-awaited report, which called for payouts of between £1,000 and £2,950, and urged Parliament to take up the issue.
A previous report from the Ombudsman found the DWP had failed to take action in 2005 and 2006, when Tony Blair was in charge and Gordon Brown was Chancellor.
The Ombudsman’s report stated: “If DWP had made a reasonable decision in August 2005 and then acted promptly, it would have written to affected women to tell them about changes to their State Pension age by, at the latest, December 2006.
“This is 28 months earlier than DWP actually wrote to them. It follows that these women should have had at least 28 months’ more individual notice of the changes than they got.
“The opportunity that additional notice would have given them to adjust their retirement plans was lost.”
MPs pushing for action on the WASPI issue were able to get a debate approved last week by the Backbench Business Committee.
But the second reading of a bill to set out plans for compensation had to be postponed until next month.
Alan Brown MP told Express.co.uk he took the bill off the agenda as it was too far down the order paper to get any debate time.
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