Labour’s refusal to compensate Waspi women is among the string of promises made in Opposition that have been broken since Keir Starmer came to power.

Waspi women protest for compensation in Westminster (Image: Getty)

At least 134 MPs who previously backed calls for WASPI women to be compensated have failed to reaffirm their support since the Government broke its promise to them, campaigners have suggested.

This includes 119 Labour MPs and 15 Tory MPs, an analysis by the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) group found.

Ministers announced in December that they would not pay compensation to millions of 1950s-born women following a change to the age at which they could claim their pensions.

Angela Madden, chair of WASPI, said: “The Government’s refusal to compensate WASPI women, despite admitting wrongdoing, is a national scandal. “We know hundreds of principled MPs are still resolute in their support for those affected and firmly disagree with the decision taken by the Labour leadership.

“While some appear to have given up on us, abandoning the vulnerable women they once promised to fight for, it is clear that a majority of MPs know deep down that compensating WASPI women is the right thing to do.”

The 134 cross-party figure excludes serving government ministers or whips, at least 80 of whom have previously pledged their support for the campaign.

WASPI’s analysis found 179 MPs have publicly blasted the Government’s decision not to compensate WASPI women in recent months.

Of these, 56 Labour MPs have openly slammed Downing Street’s failure to deliver justice.

The campaign group said dozens more are thought to be supportive behind closed doors, including several senior ministers.

As leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer promised to “do something about it”, saying he understood the plight of those who had planned for retirement only to have “the goalposts moved”.

But in December his Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall told WASPI women they would not be getting any compensation.

A previous report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PSHO) suggested compensation ranging between £1,000 and £2,950 could be appropriate for each of those affected.

But the Government said that while it accepted the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and apologised for there being a delay in writing to 1950s-born women, a blanket compensation scheme, which could cost taxpayers up to £10.5 billion, cannot be justified.

Campaigners in March said they raised more than £150,000 to fund a High Court challenge.

A government spokesman said: “We do not comment on live litigation.

“We accept the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration and have apologised for there being a 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women.

“However, evidence showed only one in four people remember reading and receiving letters that they weren’t expecting and that by 2006, 90% of 1950s-born women knew that the state pension age was changing.

“The Government cannot justify paying for a £10.5billion compensation scheme at the expense of the taxpayer.”

– WASPI’s new interactive map showing the position of every MP across the country on compensation is available here.