Pembrokeshire campaigners demand action on pension justice ahead of Budget

Pembrokeshire campaigners that form part of the ‘1950s Women for Justice’, a UK-wide consortium of regional groups, are demanding urgent action from the Labour Government ahead of the Budget on October 28.

Pembrokeshire campaigner, Jackie Gilderdale said: “Our message to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the pensions minister is clear: stop defending inaction and start delivering a fair resolution.

“Women born in the 1950s have spent years fighting for recognition, accountability and justice. They worked, paid taxes and National Insurance, raised families and cared for relatives.

“Many endured financial hardship, uncertainty and the loss of planned retirement years as they struggled to understand changes to their State Pension age and the information available to them.

“They do not need another review, another statement or another promise to consider the matter. They need action.

She said that the UK Government has acknowledged maladministration concerning the delayed notification of State Pension age changes and apologised for the delay, yet it has declined to introduce financial compensation.

“That cannot be the end of the matter,” she continued. “The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s findings form part of the evidence, but our campaign is about much more than one report or one proposed remedy.

“We are demanding that the Government confront the evidence, engage meaningfully with affected women and develop a fair, workable solution of its own.

“Labour MPs and pension experts spent nearly two years meeting with campaign representatives and examining substantial evidence. What has happened to that work? Where is Labour’s alternative? Why are women still being left without a credible route to redress?

“If ministers believe a different approach is fairer, they must demonstrate it. If they believe compensation is impractical or unaffordable, they must publish the evidence and explain which alternatives they have properly considered.

Jackie said that rejecting a proposal is not a solution; an apology is not compensation; And indefinite delay is not justice.

“We demand a clearly defined moratorium on further adverse action affecting women involved in this dispute while a resolution process is established. Ministers must specify what will be paused, how women will be protected and how the process will operate,” she explained.

“We demand genuine, independent mediation involving the Government, affected women, campaign representatives and relevant stakeholders. It must have clear objectives, a firm timetable and a genuine commitment to finding a resolution—not be another exercise in delay.

“Labour must put forward its own evidence-based framework, developed through mediation and informed by the circumstances of affected women.

“It must be transparent, proportionate and accessible, with clear criteria, an effective appeals process and a published assessment of costs and funding options.

“We are not demanding a blank cheque or insisting that every woman must receive the same payment. We are demanding that the Government does the necessary work to establish a fair and defensible remedy.”

Official figures published in 2026 report £89.267 billion in investments in the National Insurance Fund Investment Account at 31 March 2026. Separately, the Government Actuary projected the wider National Insurance Fund’s balance at £101.6 billion by March 2027 and £163.7 billion by March 2031 under its central assumptions.

“These are distinct, related measures and must not be double-counted. Nor do projected balances automatically represent money available for compensation,” remarked Jackie.

“Nevertheless, the Government must explain what funding options it has examined, what credible alternatives would cost and why any proposed approach has been accepted or rejected.

“The Budget provides Labour with an opportunity to commit the resources, work and timetable needed to resolve this longstanding dispute.

“Some affected women have died without seeing their concerns resolved. Others continue to face uncertainty after years of campaigning for answers.

“Time is running out. The Government must recognise the human consequences of continued delay and act with urgency.

“The Government must stop treating this dispute as a problem to be managed and start treating it as an injustice requiring resolution.

“The Budget is Labour’s opportunity to demonstrate that its commitment to fairness means something in practice,” she added.