Senior lawyer representing millions of women affected by State Pension age changes are set to raise “multiple legal errors” with the Government over their refusal to compensate WASPI women.

The pre-court action letter could see WASPI return to the High Court for a second judicial review, with campaigners branding the Government’s approach to affected women as “offensive”.

Government lawyers will then have 14 days to respond to the move.

In an update to campaigners today, WASPI confirmed a judicial review pre-action protocol is being prepared in relation to the “irrational and unfair” legal position taken by the Government in relation to the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s report.

Campaigners have accused ministers of “failing to take responsibility” for their failures, arguing they are denying the lived experiences of affected women.

They argue the Department for Work and Pensions based its decision on the awareness of State Pension age changes on a narrow set of data which cannot account for the circumstances of 3.5 million women.

In spring 2024, the Parliamentary Ombudsman found maladministration in the way the DWP failed to properly communicate with 1950s-born women about changes to their State Pension age and ordered compensation to be paid.

Ministers apologised for the mistakes made but stopped short of setting a scheme for financial redress at the time, before WASPI launched a judicial review in a bid to force a rethink.

In January, Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden reiterated the Government’s position that most 1950s-born women were aware of changes to their retirement age and that writing to them earlier would have made little difference.

His update to MPs followed an out-of-court settlement between government lawyers and WASPI campaigners in December 2024, where ministers agreed to review the entirety of their response to the Parliamentary Ombudsman’s report, including financial redress recommendations.

Despite the review undertaken by the Department for Work and Pensions, campaigners say very little has changed since the Government’s initial refusal to compensate WASPI women back in 2024.

Since the Government’s refusal to pay out, hundreds of MPs have spoken out in support of compensation, including dozens across the Labour backbenches.

Research shows 72 per cent of the voting public support compensation for WASPI women impacted by the Department for Work and Pensions’ proven maladministration.

The Government has had the opportunity to do the right thing for WASPI women. Instead, they have made a political choice to ignore well established democratic processes, which is irrational, unfair and risks alienating even more voters.

Women affected by the Government’s failures have waited long enough. If ministers will not listen to the independent ombudsman, their own MPs and millions of people across the country, we will make them listen in court.

Further information on WASPI’s court case can be found here.