Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey has attacked the government over what she described as ‘injustice’ faced by women who says they have lost out because of changes to state pension age.
Ms Long-Bailey took part in a debate on the injustice 1950s women faced in changes to state pension age on January 16th.
An Ombudsman confirmed last year that the department for work and pensions was guilty of maladministration and women had suffered injustice, therefore being entitled to compensation.
Long-Bailey said: “Many felt that the Ombudsman’s report hadn’t gone far enough, but at the very least, we had the firm expectancy that the previous Government and later this one would at the very least act on the Ombudsman’s recommendations”.
“So when the Government finally issued its response it was met with shock, shock that the despite the clear findings of state level injustice these women were to be denied justice.”
She described how the recommendations of the Ombudsman were rejected in full without alternative proposals being set out.
Long-Bailey ended her statements by stating to the minister: “He must be aware that the Ombudsman made the rare choice to lay this report before parliament because they didn’t have the reassurance that the Department for Work and Pensions would act on its recommendations.”
“In this place we wholeheartedly welcome the Government’s apology to impacted women and we recognise the difficult financial landscape that the government finds itself in we must be clear, state level injustice is state level injustice, it can’t be ignored.”
“An apology enough is not sufficient.”
MPs also heard from The Workers Policy Project, the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union and Unite the Union, to launch the campaign to protect workers from sexual harassment in the workplace, which Long-Bailey followed up by tweeting: “Workplaces must be safe for all.”
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