The Barrow and Furness branch of the WASPI campaign has called for immediate action as new figures show the extent of pension inequality in the town.

Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) is a voluntary UK-based organisation founded in 2015.

The women are fighting for justice for all women born in the 1950s affected by the changes to the State Pension Age (SPA) with what they say was inadequate or no notice.

READ MORE: Barrow WASPI women speak of 'let down' after ombudsman report

After a six-year investigation, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) concluded last month that compensation should be paid to those affected.

The cross-party letter calls on ministers to make time for an 'urgent debate and vote' following the release of the landmark report.

As women wait to hear if they will receive compensation, WASPI has unearthed data estimates showing the numbers of people affected by pension inequality in 2024.

The data shows that out of 575 constituencies in England and Wales, Barrow falls at number 94 in the highest number of people affected.

The highest constituency was Boston and Skegness in the East Midlands with an estimated 7,850 people with the fewest being Sheffield Central at 2,410.

Barrow fall well inside the top 20 per cent with 6,340 people believed to be affected.

The Mail: Barrow WASPI campaigner Catherine Williams, 70, who worked as a nurse and has paid National Insurance since she was 16, lost out on £42,000 by the time she got her pension at 66.

She said: "Around election time in 2019, I spoke to Barrow's MP Simon Fell directly about the campaign when he was canvassing.

"To give him his due, he was very supportive and was one of the first MPs in the UK to sign a WASPI pledge.

"He was a fairly new minister who we feel stepped outside of party lines in a way to do that.

The Mail: Barrow WASPIs with suffragette statue in London"In recent times however, there hasn't been much in the way of practical support 

"Especially coming up to the election, this needs to be on the agenda. We need real action to be taken, so what's next?

"Around 270,000 WASPI women in the UK have already died since the start of the campaign in 2015. On average around one dies every 13 minutes.

"There also needs to be more support in terms of the women affected too.

"There's lots of support on social media which is great, however the number of people attending meetings has gone right down.

The Mail: At the time Mr Fell signed the WASPI pledge, there were around 4,000 1950s-born women in his constituency however campaigners' figures have now estimated this to be higher.

Mr Fell said: "I’ve long been a supporter of the WASPI cause, meeting the Barrow & Furness branch here and in Westminster and being kept honest by Cath, Pat and others.

"The Ombudsman’s decision shows what we’ve known for a long time - that clearly that 1950s women were not treated fairly.

"I met with WASPI’s leaders last week in Westminster to discuss next steps and spoke to the Pensions Minister following that too.

"I will keep pushing until justice is done. Time is of the essence with this issue."