Ayrshire's WASPI women have given their backing to the national campaign's demands for fair and speedy compensation for those who were left to wait years for their state pension.

And they warned: "We're not just going to go away..."

The Cunninghame Women Against State Pension Inequality group, which represents those who lost out on their pensions across Ayrshire and Arran, wants the Department of Work and Pensions to act swiftly.

Under cross-questioning by MPs on the House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee, this week, WASPI leaders set out details of the compensation scheme they believe Parliament should bring about.

The campaigners say compensation should be ‘two-pronged’ with a first element which is ‘speedy, simple and sensitive’, giving a tiered amount to all affected women based on how long they had to wait for their state pension and how little notice they were given of the change.

For example, those who received three months’ notice of a one-year increase would receive less while those who received only 18 months’ notice of a six-year increase would get more.  

They said a second prong, which could be administered separately, should give women an opportunity to prove ‘direct financial loss’ such as lost earnings, in their individual case, for an additional payment.

This goes beyond the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman's (PHSO) recommendations, but the campaign says it is essential if injustice is to be properly recognised.

Following a six-year investigation, the PHSO reported in March, recommending that Parliament intervenes to set up a compensation scheme to remedy injustice meted out to WASPI women.

Speaking in support of the WASPI campaign, Conservative MP Peter Aldous, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s State Pension Inequality, told the committee: “There should be a bell-curve where those who received least notice of longest delay get most and those who got the longest notice of a shorter increase should receive a lesser amount. That would be the approach I would suggest.”

Labour MP Rebecca Long-Bailey, the group's other co-chair, added: "There clearly has been direct financial loss to affected women. The PHSO has made its decision on direct loss based on its own guidance.

"That’s not statutory and therefore can be amended by Parliament.  What WASPI is proposing would be a fair system, ensuring everyone affected gets something and those worst affected get most.”

WASPI chair Angela Madden said: “We welcome the serious and thorough questions asked today by members of the work and pensions select committee and the cross-party support for our approach.

"It is now for the government to give proper time to Parliament to debate and vote on a fair compensation scheme. The DWP cannot just keep ignoring us.”

Susan Bolland from the Cunninghame WASPI group said: "I fully support our directors in responding to the committee with careful and considered answers.

"They are fighting a real injustice here for all 1950s born women at the highest level with incredible determination and fortitude.

"We are not just going to go away."