maladministration

"This is a sector that has consistently failed to comply with their statutory obligations - some of the housing providers who back the code have multiple maladministration findings to their name," she said.

Fanta took the case to the European Ombudsman in 2021, where an inquiry found that the Commission's failure to look for the text messages beyond its usual record-keeping amounted to maladministration.

Ms Madden said: "The government has accepted that 1950s-born women are victims of maladministration, but it now says none of us suffered any injustice."

A government spokesperson told the BBC on Sunday it accepted the ombudsman's finding of maladministration and had apologised for the 28-month delay in writing to 1950s-born women.

She accepted there had been a "maladministration" in communication, with a 28-month delay in letters being sent out to women, and apologised for this.