A High Court judge has confirmed that a legal challenge by the Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign (WASPI) will start within weeks
A group of women representing the WASPI protest group stand outside the Houses of Parliament (Image: Leon Neal, Getty Images)
A leading High Court judge has confirmed that a legal challenge by the Women Against State Pension Inequality Campaign (WASPI) is set to commence in the coming weeks, as fresh research reveals the impact of changes to the State Pension age for women across the UK.
The WASPI group has revealed that the two-day showdown between campaigners and top UK Government lawyers is scheduled to kick off on 9 December 2025. Representatives from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will appear before the High Court to defend the UK Government’s response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) final report into State Pension age changes, which was released in March 2024.
It’s believed that approximately 3.5 million women born in the 1950s throughout the UK missed out on State Pension payments due to increases in the official retirement age by successive governments. Ministers admitted fault in response to the landmark report in December 2024 but refused to provide any compensation to the affected women.
Supported by hundreds of MPs and high-ranking trade union figures, WASPI campaigners argue that the UK Government’s response to the report is flawed and have urged ministers to rethink their stance, according to the Daily Record.
Should they prevail, the High Court might compel ministers to return to square one and re-examine the PHSO’s findings. Nevertheless, it’s vital to understand that the court cannot directly order the DWP to provide compensation to WASPI women, reports the Mirror.
WASPI has revealed that UK Government solicitors are now anticipated to submit hundreds – potentially thousands – of pages of documentation supporting their case.
The announcement of WASPI’s courtroom appearance comes after a survey of over 5,000 WASPI women revealed that almost three-quarters (72%) of them have concerns about their financial situation. With MPs set to reconvene at Westminster on Monday, activists are more resolute than ever in their pursuit of justice.
Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) declared: “With our day in court now on the horizon, we are more determined than ever to secure the fair compensation that WASPI women deserve.
“We are backed by hundreds of MPs across the political parties, dozens of trade unions and influential organisations, alongside an overwhelming majority of the public. Ministers should stop dithering and get around the table with WASPI women or face being forced to defend the indefensible in court in a matter of weeks.”
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