The Liberal Democrats hope to “force” a Commons vote on compensation for Waspi women, after the government rejected payouts earlier this month.
Cllr Victor Chamberlain, leader of the Southwark Lib Dem group said the party aims to “hold the government accountable” and “push for justice” for the women affected by the decision.
Speaking to the South London Press, Cllr Chamberlain said: “My mum is one of the thousands of Waspi women who have been let down by this appalling decision.
“I am really angry that WASPI women have been failed by successive governments, but now is the time to act.
“The Liberal Democrats are working to force a vote in Parliament to hold the government accountable and push for justice for WASPI women.
“I urge Southwark’s Labour MPs to back this vote.”
Across the five Southwark constituencies, around 11,320 women have been rejected compensation by the government.
This is far more than any other South London borough, according to Government statistics, with 7,560 and 4,930 affected in Lewisham and Lambeth respectively.
Southwark Lib Dems have written to the five Southwark Labour MPs to call for a reversal of the decision.
Liberal Democrat Deputy Group Leader Cllr Rachel Bentley said: “We’re urging our MPs to stick to their word and back the WASPI campaign for justice.”
The dispute relates to changes to the state pension age.
When the modern state pension was introduced in 1948, men received their sum aged 65, and women aged 60.
Since 1995, successive governments have introduced measures to align the ages men and women received their pensions.
But, in March 2024, a Parliamentary ombudsman said the government failed to adequately inform thousands of women that the state pension age had changed.
The Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign group argues that many women were forced to continue working past their expected retirement age, or to live on significantly less income than they had planned.
Nine months ago the ombudsman ruled in favour of the WASPI campaign and recommended that compensation between £1,000 and £2,950 be paid to those who were not aware of changes.
On December 17, the Labour Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Liz Kendal accepted there had been a “maladministration” in communication, but stated that the Government would not be taking the recommendation forward.
The Government said there had been “considerable awareness” among women about the changes and that there was no evidence of “direct financial loss”.
Diane Bebbington, 70, of Merton park, campaigned alongside the WASPI group for three years.
Speaking to the South London Press, she said: “It was a shock because Labour were the main party supporting our cause.
“All those years of waiting and nothing happens.”
Ms Bebbington was expecting her full state pension when she turned 60 years old. But, aged 57, she discovered she would have to wait another nine years.
She said: “I ended up working into my mid-60’s, but I’m highly qualified. This change hit less advantaged women very hard.
“There’s still so much inequality, for ethnic minorities, single, widowed, unemployed or disabled women this was devastating.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the decision to reject compensation, arguing that the taxpayer “simply can’t afford the tens of billions of pounds” in payments.
Ms Bebbington said: “If you flip that excuse on its head and it shows how much money they have saved from us.
“If the WASPI women get their money it would bankrupt the country – imagine how much we have lost.
“The country saved a fortune on our backs. It’s terrible.”
Southwark council and the Department of Work and Pensions has been approached for comment.
Pictured top: Cllr Victor Chamberlain (right) with his mother Maggie Bowen who he says was hit by the pension change (Picture: Cllr Victor Chamberlain)
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