Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen West WASPI Women of Wales organiser, Jackie Gilderdale has said a huge well done to everyone who has fought hard for over 7 years to keep their long and highly visible campaign to fight for state pension justice going, which has moved a step further as the Ombudsman’s report has been declared as ‘legally flawed’.

WASPI campaigners held a rally outside Parliament last month on International Women’s Day to highlight their ongoing fight.

“We now hope that some justice will be finally done and these women will not suffer another whitewash. We must still keep the pressure on this Government and our local MPs, Stephen Crabb and Simon Hart,” said Jackie.

“Discussions were taking place between WASPI lawyers and those representing the Ombudsman - and that WASPI’s position remained that the best outcome in the judicial review would be an early settlement in which the Ombudsman accepted his Stage 2 report into the injustice suffered by WASPI and other 1950s born women should be reconsidered.

“Those discussions concluded at the end of last week. They were very productive and have led to an agreement between the Ombudsman and WASPI that the judicial review claim should be settled. The settlement agreement has now been submitted to the Court for approval.

“The Stage 2 report will be ‘quashed’ - so it will have no legal effect anymore and will have to be reconsidered - with the Ombudsman accepting the criticisms we made of the Stage 2 report which meant it was ‘legally flawed’ and so the reconsideration will focus on those parts of the Stage 2 report.

“The draft Stage 3 report - which discussed what remedies, including compensation, should follow from the flawed Stage 2 report - will have to be reconsidered too; and the Ombudsman will pay some of WASPI’s legal costs,” she continued.

“The Court has to approve the settlement for the Stage 2 report to be quashed, but we and the Ombudsman have asked the Court to give it urgent attention.

“This is a huge victory for WASPI – and 1950s born women. It will maximise the chances of compensation for the DWP’s maladministration being decided on a proper basis which recognises the full extent of the injustice.”

Further updates will be made available very soon with answers to key questions about the settlement, but meanwhile you can read the ‘Statement of Reasons’ for the draft Court Order and the draft Court Order itself in the latest update on the WASPI Crowdjustice page.

Jackie continued: “WASPI has been vindicated. But without the financial contributions which have been made, the judicial review would not have been possible and 1950s born women would have been stuck with a report on the injustice they suffered which the Ombudsman now unequivocally accepts is ‘legally flawed’.

Jackie went on to say: “This has been one of the biggest campaigns for justice since the poll tax and at long last there is light at the end of the tunnel and all 1950s women will be recompensed.”