The WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) campaign will likely get a fresh wave of support for their calls in compensation in Parliament with the new cohort of MPs.
Neil Rayner, head of Advice at wealth group True Potential, said the new larger group of Liberal Democrat MPs will help the WASPI cause.
Mr Rayner told Express.co.uk: “One of the most potentially contentious issues between the Lib Dems and Labour is compensation for WASPI women.
“The Liberal Democrats have consistently championed the cause of fair treatment and compensation for women born in the 1950s, who have been adversely affected by changes to the state pension age.
“In contrast, Labour, under Rachel Reeves, has shown reluctance to commit to this compensation, citing the need to ensure fiscal feasibility first.
“The Lib Dems, with their larger parliamentary party, may increase pressure on Labour to reconsider this stance, especially given the growing public support for the WASPI campaign.”
The Lib Dems now have 72 seats in the House of Commons, up from their previous 11 seats. Their recent manifesto released ahead of the General Election called again for compensation for the WASPI women.
But Mr Rayner cautioned against overemphasising the importance of the smaller parties in affecting Government policy.
He explained: “It is important not to overstate the potential influence of third parties on the new Government.
“Labour’s majority means that the Lib Dems aren’t able to hold their support hostage until Labour meet their demands.
“Therefore, the extent of Lib Dem influence will largely depend on Labour’s willingness to integrate these proposals into their broader policy framework.”
The WASPI campaigners were disappointed to hear no mention of the issue in the King’s Speech today, as King Charles outlined the Government’s forthcoming policies.
Angela Madden, chair of WASPI, said: “Hundreds of MPs support WASPI’s calls for fair and fast compensation, yet the new Government has today missed an opportunity to deliver the justice that millions of 1950s-born women deserve.
“While we welcome the new legal duty of candour which will ensure Government departments hold their hands up when things go wrong, swift action to correct the disastrous mistakes of previous administrations was missing today.
“WASPI will continue to work cross-party to see financial redress proposals brought forward within the first 100 days of the new Parliament.”
A much-anticipated report on the WASPI issue from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman came out in March, saying there should be payouts of between £1,000 and £2,950.
Previous MPs backing the issue have called for payments of £10,000 or more.
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