An MP has pledged to 'continue to fight' for the WASPI (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women in Barrow.

Barrow and Furness MP Michelle Scrogham met with the local campaign group, which formed in 2015, on budget day in London. 

The group made the trek of almost 300 miles to Westminster specifically for the government's budget day.

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READ MORE: Labour Budget squeezes SMEs, warns Cumbria's Lamont PridmoreTwo of the Barrow WASPI women at Westminster (Image: Barrow-in-Furness & District WASPI)

As plans for the economy were revealed, including those for taxation and spending, the Barrow campaign group made their presence known to urge the Labour government to fulfill its promise of 'righting a wrong'.

In March, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) published a long-awaited report that identified maladministration due to how women born in the 1950s (on or after 6th April 1950 to 5th April 1960) were affected by the changes to the State Pension Age (SPA). 

The report highlighted that many women had lost opportunities to make informed decisions about their finances and future and urged the Department of Working Pensions (DWP) to apologise to these women and compensate them.

The payouts recommended in the report between £1,000 and £2,950 however were 'far short' of the thousands of pounds campaigners were calling for.

A WASPI campaign billboard at Westminster on Budget Day (Image: Barrow-in-Furness & District WASPI) The Barrow-in-Furness & District WASPI group say time is of the essence as more than one hundred women entitled to compensation are estimated to die each day. 

Catherine Williams, 70, said she missed out on £42,000 by the time she got her pension at 66.

Catherine, a former nurse, said: "We felt the protest was very well attended and there was lots of vocal noise.

"Our local MP Michelle Scrogham came to meet us in the central lobby and we had a quick drink whilst we chatted.

"She was disappointed but it wasn’t unexpected that WASPI wasn’t mentioned in the budget 

"She said any compensation has to be fair and carefully calculated and it is being reviewed.

"But we were told by WASPI campaign that approximately 111 women born in the 1950s died today without receiving any State Pension, that amounts to about £780,000.

"So basically the longer the review and decision is left the more money the treasury will save every day."

The local WASPI campaign group has travelled to Westminster before with Catherine speaking to former Barrow MP Simon Fell whilst he was canvassing in 2019.

She was pleased that he was one of the first MPs in the UK to sign a WASPI pledge however she continues to ask 'what's next' as so far, under both Labour and Conservative governments, hundreds of thousands of women are still owed compensation.

Mrs Scrogham said: "I was pleased to welcome Barrow in Furness & District WASPI group to Parliament on Budget day. I will continue to fight for them and won’t leave this alone. They have been campaigning on this issue for nearly 10 years now.

"We need a fast and fair resolution and I will carry on raising this in parliament and with Ministers."