Former DWP minister urges older people to check for 'little-known' £93 weekly State Pension payment

There are two key dates women born in the 1950s impacted by changes to the State Pension age should add to their diary this week as MPs return to Parliament after the Easter recess. The second reading of the State Pension Age (Compensation) Bill, which was brought before the House in February by SNP MP Alan Brown, will have its second reading on Friday, April 19.

Jude Riordan has melted the hearts of Coronation Street fans since his debut as Sam Blakeman in 2020. On Monday night’s episode, 15 April, viewers will witness Sam teaming up with Bobby Crawford in an effort to save cafe owner Roy Cropper, who has been unfairly caught up in the murder investigation of Lauren. Roy's past and uncompromising honesty have put him in a difficult position, leading Sam and Bobby to take matters into their own hands when they learn that Roy has been denied bail.

The Scottish Government will replace Winter Fuel Payments with a new devolved lump sum later this year. Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) is set to be provided on a like-for-like basis to its Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) counterpart and paid to everyone over the State Pension age every year.

The latest statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that the State Pension currently provides a regular financial income for nearly 12.7 million older people across the country, including more than one million retirees living in Scotland. This payment is available for those who have reached the UK Government’s eligible retirement age, which is currently 66 for both men and women, and have paid at least 10 years' worth of National Insurance (NI) contributions.

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More than one million people over State Pension age living in Scotland will be able to claim two new devolved benefits starting before the end of this year. Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) will be worth up to £300 per household and is set to replace the annual Winter Fuel Payment, currently delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

State Pensions and benefits increased earlier this week after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) applied the annual uprating. More than 12 million people will see State Pension payments rise by 8.5 per cent while those on benefits including Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will receive a 6.7 per cent increase.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP has said he will return to the House of Commons “when there is something to say” about a decision on whether women born in the 1950s affected by changes to the State Pension age should receive compensation. His comments may confuse some people as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s report (PHSO) published on March 21 indicated that compensation should be made.

People claiming the state pension will see their payments go up from today (April 8).

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) started writing to older men and women in September 2023, whose National Insurance (NI) records may have been affected by missing periods of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), resulting in a shortfall in their State Pension payments.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has removed the online claim forms for the 2023/24 Winter Fuel Payment for people living in the UK and retirees living abroad. The closing date for applications for the annual heating bill help was Sunday, March 31 - which means anyone who missed the deadline will not be entitled to up to £600.

An open letter to Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt MP, demanding a debate and vote in Parliament on compensation for Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign, has been signed by more than 156,000 people in just 10 days.

The latest figures from the Scottish Government show that 460,860 people received a Council Tax Reduction (CTR) in October 2023, which means one-in-five households are being supported through the scheme, which is only available to those living north of the border.

More than 41,000 people have signed an online petition created by Angela Madden, chair of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign, urging the Leader of the House of Commons to “urgently” give MPs the opportunity to debate and vote on compensation for women affected by changes to their State Pension age.

Pensioners across the country will see a boost to their income next month.

Hearing “Come on down!” on “The Price is Right” would make anyone excited, and there’s apparently plan in place if someone gets a little too excited.Former “Price is Right” and “Jeopardy!” producer Mike Richards told People recently that if someone accidentally wets their pants on set, production is prepared.“When I got there, they had a system in place in case someone peed their pants,” Richards told the outlet.He added, “I never saw it happen, but there were curtains and a blow dryer and [a] pair of sweats just in case, since we’d have to get on with the show.”Other kinds of accidents have happened on the set of “The Price is Right.”Last year, a contestant named Henry was celebrating his winning one of the games when he dislocated his shoulder. His wife, Alice, finished off the show by spinning the wheel for him.Henry ended up winning a Hawaiian vacation in the showcase showdown, and the show’s social media post of the clip joked, “He won a trip to Hawaii and the ER #PriceIsRight.”In 2014, a contestant named Judy hurt her ankle while spinning the wheel and played the Showcase Showdown on crutches.Richards worked on “The Price is Right” during its transition from Bob Barker as host to Drew Carey’s takeover and has also worked on “Wheel of Fortune” and “Let’s Make a Deal” throughout his career.The producer recently addressed his brief time as replacement host of “Jeopardy!” following the death of Alex Trebek.Richards told People, “No one was more surprised than me.

A retirement expert has warned that the State Pension underpayment corrections exercise is making progress, but warns it is “slow” with “a very long way to go”. Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, said that new data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows that arrears payments have been made to nearly 100,000 women due to historical errors.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) published a report on Thursday which said that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to adequately communicate changes to women’s State Pension age, and those affected are owed compensation. As a result of its findings, the Ombudsman has asked Parliament to intervene and “act swiftly” to make sure a compensation scheme is established.

Millions of 1950s-born women who lost out when the State Pension age changed cannot afford to wait much longer for compensation, campaigners said as they acknowledged that for some it was “already too late”. Age UK accused the UK Government of “seemingly endlessly dragging its feet in situations when there have been clear findings of fault”, and compared the situation to concerns around the Windrush Compensation Scheme and the Post Office and Contaminated Blood scandals.

A report looking into how raising the age when women retire has impacted them is to be published on Thursday.