WOMEN fighting for their pensions have accused the UK Government of not taking them seriously as new figures emerged about its response to complaints.

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign is urging the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to introduce transition payments for those set to lose years of retirement pay due to Tory changes.

As many as 3.5 million women born in the 1950s will have payments reduced as the female retirement age rises to meet the male level. The alteration was imposed without giving the workers effected time to plan for the income cut, leaving many short.

Now Freedom of Information (FOI) figures reveal that while almost 4600 complaints relating to WASPI have been received by officials, only six investigations have been concluded.

Although a dedicated team was established to handle the claims in October, it includes only three members of staff and Scottish WASPI organisers say this is insufficient.

Ann Greer, of WASPI Argyll and Isles, said women are being left “in limbo” and that her own complaint has been on hold for eight months, with no case manager allocated.

Meanwhile, Rosemary Dickson of Glasgow and Lanarkshire said her branch has sent “hundreds of letters”, with Susan Bolland of Ayrshire WASPI commenting: “With thousands of women now standing up and fighting for their pensions, three people is not adequate.

“They are not taking this seriously, and we are not going away.”

The FOI response said the WASPI team had been “drawn from existing... resources”, adding: “Complainants must exhaust the DWP complaints process before they can escalate their claim to the ICE office. As at 30 September 2017 DWP had processed 4557 complaints relating to WASPI campaign activity. As of 3 November 2017, the ICE office had concluded six WASPI investigations.”

Mhairi Black MP said: “It is astonishing the Tories have only given six of these the courtesy of a response.

Theresa May managed to rustle up a billion pound bung for the DUP so she could cling on to power. Apparently she can’t find a single penny to give women the pensions that they are due.”