A tiered compensation scheme for thousands of women in Norfolk and Waveney who lost out because of state pension age changes has been backed by one of the region's MPs.

Peter Aldous, Conservative MP for Waveney, told a Parliamentary committee there should be tiered compensation 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.

Lowestoft Journal: Waveney MP Peter AldousWaveney MP Peter Aldous (Image: UK Parliament)

The Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has been fighting to win compensation for 1950s-born women affected by state pension age changes, of which there are 52,000 in Norfolk.

In March, government watchdog the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman conceded part of its investigation into how increases to the state pension age were communicated by the Department for Work and Pensions was flawed and needed to be reconsidered.

That potentially opens the door for compensation for women who were affected.

And, at a Work and Pensions Committee hearing, Mr Aldous, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s State Pension Inequality, outlined what the compensation approach should be.

He said: "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."

Lowestoft Journal: Debbie de SponDebbie de Spon (Image: Debbie de Spon)

Debbie de Spon, co-ordinator for the Norfolk WASPI group and communications director for the national WASPI campaign, said: "Our goal of compensation for WASPI women may be a little closer. It was an important session for us, giving considerable credibility to the years of work we've put in."

READ MORE: Campaigners say 3,000 'WASPI' women will have died with no compensation

The WASPI group launched a judicial review in the High Court earlier this year – raising £120,000 from thousands of affected women – to challenge the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) report.

And the PHSO agreed, out of court, that it would withdraw and revisit its work, which could lead to it recommending a higher level of compensation when the second stage of its investigation is published.

The ombudsman’s report had suggested compensation at level four, ranging between £1,000 and £2,950, could be appropriate for each of those affected.

Rebecca Hilsenrath, interim ombudsman at the PHSO, told the committee she stood by the original recommendation.