Key facts
- Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has pledged support for the Waspi women pension campaigners.
- The campaigners claim billions in unpaid pensions due to inadequate communication about state pension age changes.
- A 2024 report recommended compensation payments ranging from £1,000 to £2,950 per affected individual.
- The government has consistently rejected calls for compensation.
- The Waspi campaign group has threatened to unseat Labour at the next general election if their demands are not met.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has pledged his support to the Waspi women, a group of over 3.5 million women born in the 1950s who claim they were not adequately informed of changes to the state pension age. These women argue they have lost thousands of pounds, with the campaign group demanding up to £10 billion in compensation. Burnham stated his discomfort with politicians who support such causes but fail to act once in government. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recommended payments between £1,000 and £2,950 for each affected individual, a proposal that has been repeatedly rejected by the government. The Waspi campaign has vowed to unseat the Labour party if their demands are not met, though Labour leader Keir Starmer has deemed the group's demands unaffordable.