SNP MP Graham Leadbitter has accused the UK Labour government of deliberately stalling compensation for the WASPI generation, saying ministers are “waiting for them to die” rather than deliver long-promised financial redress.
The Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey MP issued the criticism after new figures revealed that more than 392,000 women affected by State Pension age changes have died since the campaign began in 2015.
In a scathing statement, Leadbitter called the government’s refusal to act “a morbid waiting game” and urged Labour to honour its commitments to 1950s-born women affected by abrupt and poorly communicated pension changes.
“These are some of the most dedicated, hardworking activists I’ve ever met,” he said.
“If Labour thinks they’ll shut up or go away, they have another thing coming.”
The WASPI campaign, Women Against State Pension Inequality has been calling for justice for women who experienced sharp rises to their pension age with little or no warning.
In March 2024, the UK’s Parliamentary Ombudsman found the Department for Work and Pensions guilty of maladministration and called for swift compensation.
Despite this, the current UK government, led by Labour, has not committed to a redress scheme.
Campaigners have highlighted that Labour figures, including current Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, pledged support while in opposition but have since stalled on delivering a settlement.
Leadbitter accused ministers of hypocrisy, saying:
“The Labour Ministers who once posed for photos with WASPI women to secure votes are now sickeningly silent.”
He also criticised the removal of winter fuel payments for pensioners ahead of a difficult winter, calling it “an ugly, but accurate, portrayal of the cruelty of this Westminster government.”
The SNP says it will continue to back the WASPI campaign across the UK, while linking the issue to broader calls for Scottish independence.
“This whole issue highlights another reason why people in Scotland would be better off free from Westminster,” Leadbitter added.
The WASPI website confirms that 392,000 women have now died since the campaign’s inception, up from 300,000 reported at the end of last year.
That figure equates to around 111 women a day.
