Government Should 'Get Over it' and Accept ASW Pensions Ruling

1.17.38pm GMT Thu 15th Mar 2007

Today, the Government announced that it will appeal the High Court ruling that Ministers were wrong to reject the Ombudsman's findings of pensions maladministration.

Commenting, Jenny Willott MP who is a Member of the Public Administration Select Committee that recommended in 2006 that the Government should accept the Ombudsman's findings, said:

"The 1,000 ASW workers and over 100,000 others who have been waiting years for fair compensation will be rightly furious to see the Government yet again contesting the maladministration findings.

"This means yet more delays for ASW workers until they get justice.

"The Government has been found guilty of misleading people about the security of their pensions by the Ombudsman, by our Parliamentary Committee and in the High Court. There is no more room for manoeuvre.

"It really is time for the Government to "get over it" and accept the mistakes of the past, and rectify the problems of the present. This means making sure that all those who have lost their pensions through no fault of their own do not face a future of working long into retirement or retiring in poverty.

"This matter must be resolved before the Report Stage of the Pensions Bill in the House of Commons."

Jenny Willott MP has tabled an amendment to the Pensions Bill with her Public Administration Select Committee colleagues that would include all those who lost occupational pensions within the Pension Protection Fund. This would guarantee that 90% of their accrued pension earnings are restored.