Women’s State Pension age (Ombudsman report and compensation scheme): Ten Minute Rule Motion

On 28 January 2025, MPs voted 105 to 0 to grant Stephen Flynn (SNP) leave to introduce a Bill requiring the government to respond formally to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's March 2024 report on women's state pension age, and to establish a compensation scheme for women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1960. The motion passed unopposed under the Ten Minute Rule procedure, which allows any MP to seek permission from the Commons to introduce a Bill by making a short speech in favour of it. The Bill, if it became law, would compel the Secretary of State to lay proposals before Parliament within three months covering two areas: a formal response to the Ombudsman's findings on maladministration and injustice, including an apology and acknowledgement of responsibility; and a compensation scheme for the women affected by the pension age rises introduced by the Pensions Act 1995 and 2011. These women, commonly known as WASPI women (Women Against State Pension Inequality), argue they were not given adequate notice that their state pension age would rise from 60 to 65 and then 66, leaving many without expected retirement income. The Ombudsman had already found in March 2024 that there was maladministration and injustice, but the Labour government subsequently rejected paying compensation, prompting this legislative attempt to force its hand. The vote was effectively a show of cross-party frustration rather than a contested division. The Liberal Democrats supplied 62 of the 105 ayes, making them by far the largest bloc in favour. Eleven Labour MPs voted for the motion despite their government's position, while 350 Labour MPs had no vote recorded. Nearly all Conservative MPs, 114 of them, also had no vote recorded.