Campaigners say government decision ‘irrational and unlawful’ as ministers defend position

WOMEN born in the 1950s are threatening a Judicial Review after the UK Government refused to introduce a compensation scheme for those affected by changes to the State Pension age.

Campaign groups representing thousands of women across Wales say the decision by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is “legally flawed and procedurally unsafe”, arguing that ministers have relied on incomplete evidence while ignoring long-standing claims of maladministration and discrimination.

But the UK Government maintains that, while mistakes were made in communication, there is insufficient evidence that most women suffered direct financial loss as a result.

The row centres on the long-running dispute over changes to the State Pension age, which saw the retirement age for women rise from sixty to sixty-six, bringing it into line with men. Many women say they were given little or no notice, leaving them unable to plan financially.

Ombudsman findings

In 2024, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) concluded that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was guilty of maladministration in how it communicated the changes.

The Ombudsman recommended compensation, suggesting payments could range from £1,000 to nearly £3,000 depending on impact.

However, in December, Paymaster General Pat McFadden MP said the Government would not implement a blanket compensation scheme, arguing that evidence did not show widespread financial injustice directly caused by the communication failures.

Campaigners say that stance is wrong in law.

‘Not new evidence’

Groups including 1950s Women of Wales & Beyond, 50s Women United, and Pension Partners for Justice claim ministers relied on what they described as “new evidence” to justify rejecting compensation.

They argue the material had already been available for years and therefore provides “no lawful basis” to overturn the Ombudsman’s conclusions.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “To accept maladministration while denying financial loss is internally inconsistent.

“The Department’s failure deprived women of the opportunity to make informed decisions about retirement. Many incurred real, quantifiable losses – from depleted savings to forced early retirement and reliance on benefits.”

Campaigners also claim key testimony from former DWP ministers was omitted from the Ombudsman investigation, and that evidence of discrimination was not fully considered.

They say relying on what they call an “incomplete and selective report” leaves the Government open to legal challenge.

Political pressure in Wales

The issue has also been raised in the Senedd.

Plaid Cymru Deputy Leader Delyth Jewell MS recently pressed Welsh ministers to back affected women and push for engagement with campaigners.

Organiser Jackie Gilderdale said many Welsh women feel excluded from discussions.

“This campaign is not a brand or a limited company – it is real women whose lives were turned upside down,” she said.

“We don’t want another court battle. We want dialogue and a political solution. But if the door remains closed, Judicial Review remains an option.”

A petition calling for structured mediation between government and representative groups has already gathered more than 34,000 signatures.

Government position

The UK Government has previously said that most women were aware of the changes and that modelling showed limited evidence of widespread direct financial loss caused solely by communication failures.

Ministers have also pointed to the overall cost of compensation, which could run into billions of pounds.

Public law experts note that while maladministration findings are serious, compensation is not automatic and governments retain discretion over how – or whether – to implement financial redress.

Long-running dispute

The dispute has been ongoing for more than a decade and has become one of the most persistent pension justice campaigns in the UK.

Women’s groups argue many lost up to six years of expected pension income, with some estimating personal losses of tens of thousands of pounds.

Successive governments, however, have resisted calls for mass compensation, saying equalising the pension age was necessary for fairness and sustainability of the system.

For many campaigners, the fight is far from over.

“We are not going away,” the groups said.

Face-to-face training replaced with online resources in decision branded a ‘slap in the face’ for Wales

A LONG-RUNNING Welsh digital education programme that has trained thousands of teachers and pupils every year is facing an uncertain future after Welsh Government funding was cut and redirected to an English university.

Technocamps, a Swansea University-based project which has operated across Wales for twenty-two years, has described the decision as a major blow to digital skills development, with staff already losing jobs and schools left without in-person support.

Instead of renewing Technocamps’ funding, ministers have awarded £1.4 million under the Curriculum for Wales Grant Support Programme to the University of York to deliver mainly online learning resources, with only limited face-to-face sessions in what are described as “priority areas”.

Critics say the move risks replacing hands-on, bilingual classroom support with generic remote materials.

Each year Technocamps provides direct training to more than 900 teachers and delivers workshops to over 30,000 young people in schools across Wales, working face-to-face with pupils to improve coding, computing and digital literacy.

The programme has been widely credited with helping schools meet the growing demands of the Curriculum for Wales and tackling shortages in specialist computing skills.

‘Bitter disappointment’

Plaid Cymru MS Sioned Williams, who represents South Wales West, said she had met the Technocamps team again this month and would be writing to the Cabinet Secretary for Education seeking answers.

She said: “The necessity of good quality, face-to-face digital skills training has never been more important in this digital age.

“I’ve seen firsthand how engaging and effective a Technocamps workshop is and what makes this programme so great is that it is made in Wales, delivered bilingually through our network of universities and is able to reach every school and teacher.

“That’s why the news that Welsh Government has cut funding is so bitterly disappointing.

“At a time when Welsh universities are in financial crisis, it’s an additional slap in the face that what little funding has been allocated has gone to a university in England.”

Jobs lost across Wales

Beti Williams MBE, the programme’s founder and patron, said the funding decision had already resulted in redundancies.

She said: “The end of Technocamps funding has led to the unemployment of teacher trainers at universities across Wales, leaving nearly 1,000 school teachers who rely on our bespoke in-person training and support in limbo.

“Replacing Technocamps with predominantly standard online courses is an insult to Welsh universities. Online courses, of which there is unlimited choice, offer nothing to struggling teachers who rely on tailored, face-to-face help.”

A petition calling for funding to be restored has gathered more than 4,000 signatures and is now being considered by the Senedd Petitions Committee.

Questions over value for money

The decision has also raised questions about value for money.

According to supporters, the £1.4m grant awarded to York is almost double Technocamps’ previous annual funding, yet delivers fewer in-person services.

There are also concerns that only seven per cent of the wider Curriculum for Wales grant funding over the next three years is allocated to science and technology subjects.

Education campaigners warn that reducing practical support in computing and digital technology could widen skills gaps at a time when Wales is trying to attract high-tech industries and improve economic productivity.

Digital divide fears

Teachers have long argued that in-person training is essential, particularly for schools with limited IT expertise or rural connectivity challenges.

Technocamps staff say online-only provision risks leaving some schools behind.

Ms Williams added: “It’s so important that we keep this crucial skills and knowledge in Wales. The thought that we could lose this valuable resource makes no sense at a time when the need for digital competency has never been greater.”

Welsh Government has been asked to explain why the funding was awarded outside Wales and whether the impact on Welsh university jobs and school support was assessed before the decision was made.

Ministers admit no meetings with airline that once received Welsh Government marketing support

THE FUTURE of Cardiff Airport’s long-haul ambitions has been thrown back into the spotlight after Welsh ministers admitted they have not personally met Qatar Airways executives — despite the airline once operating the airport’s flagship international route and benefiting from a publicly funded marketing partnership.

The admission has prompted fresh questions over whether taxpayers are getting value for the almost £400 million of public money that has been invested in the airport since it was bought by the Welsh Government in 2013.

South Wales Central Conservative MS Andrew RT Davies said the lack of direct engagement was “unacceptable”, arguing that ministers had failed to prioritise restoring one of Wales’ most important global connections.

In written questions to Economy Minister Rebecca Evans and Transport Minister Ken Skates, he asked how many times they had met Qatar Airways since August 2024.

Both confirmed they had not held any meetings.

Ms Evans said commercial negotiations are led by the airport’s executive team and added she would “very much welcome” the route’s return when the time is right.

Mr Skates said responsibility for the airport sits outside his portfolio and declined to comment further while discussions are ongoing.

Flagship route

Qatar Airways launched daily flights between Cardiff and Doha in 2018 to considerable fanfare.

At the time, ministers described the service as “transformational”, linking Wales directly to one of the world’s biggest aviation hubs and providing one-stop access to more than 150 destinations across Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East.

Business groups said the route would make Wales more attractive to inward investors and exporters, while tourism chiefs hoped it would bring higher-spending international visitors.

To promote the link, the Welsh Government entered into a two-year marketing partnership with the airline, understood to be worth around £1 million, aimed at raising Wales’ profile overseas and encouraging travel through Cardiff.

The agreement funded joint advertising and promotional campaigns in international markets.

However, the route operated for less than two years before being suspended at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

While Qatar Airways has since restored flights to other UK airports including Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham, Cardiff remains the only former UK destination where services have not resumed.

Value for money questions

The situation has reignited debate over whether the public investment delivered lasting benefits.

Critics say the combination of direct airport funding and marketing support should have secured a more sustainable presence from a global carrier.

They question whether the advertising partnership represented value for money if the route ultimately disappeared and has yet to return.

For some observers, the absence of Qatar has become a yardstick for judging the success of government ownership.

After more than a decade and hundreds of millions of pounds in loans and support, they argue, Wales should be seeing stronger international connectivity rather than retreat.

Supporters counter that the pandemic severely disrupted aviation worldwide and that rebuilding routes takes time, particularly for smaller regional airports.

They also note that commercial airline negotiations are typically handled by airport management rather than ministers.

Passenger recovery

Cardiff Airport was purchased by the Welsh Government for £52m to prevent its closure and safeguard jobs.

Since then it has required repeated financial support packages to maintain operations and invest in infrastructure.

Passenger numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels, and the airport continues to compete with Bristol, which offers a far wider range of routes and attracts many Welsh travellers across the border.

Industry analysts say long-haul services such as Doha are especially important because they connect regions directly to global markets without relying on London hubs.

Without them, airports risk being seen as secondary or feeder operations.

Political pressure

Mr Davies said the government needed to show greater urgency.

“Senedd ministers have ploughed almost £400 million into Cardiff Airport since they bought it – yet they haven’t even bothered to meet with a major airline to re-establish a crucial international link,” he said.

“When that level of public money is involved, people expect leadership.

“Getting flights back should be a priority.”

The Welsh Government maintains it remains supportive of restoring the route and says talks with Qatar Airways are continuing through airport executives.

But for many travellers and businesses, the key question remains simple: after years of investment and promises, when will Wales once again have a direct long-haul link to the world?

Until Qatar — or another global carrier — returns, critics say, that question will continue to hang over Cardiff Airport’s future.