New DWP weekly payment rates for State Pension, PIP, Universal Credit and other benefits from next April

Russell Brand told locals in the tiny Scots village where he spent New Year that he wants to buy a holiday home next to them. The controversial comedian, who has been questioned by police over sexual abuse allegations, has stayed at seven-bedroom Brioch House in Kippen, Stirlingshire, for the last week.

The Traitors is back on BBC One with its second series this week, and a new group of contestants are competing for a prize fund worth up to £120,000.The show, hosted by Claudia Winkleman, takes place at the Ardross Castle estate in Scotland. Among the contestants is Diane Carson, 63, who has already become a fan favourite on social media. Family life It's understood Diane, originally from Northern Ireland, lives in Lancashire with her husband, and she's a parent and grandparent.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s National Insurance (NI) cuts, which come into effect this weekend, offer an immediate and welcome boost to take-home pay for an estimated 27 million employees across the country. However, as the dust settles on this Autumn Statement decision, Aegon’s Pension Director Steven Cameron has flagged potential implications for individual finances and the future funding of the State Pension and current Triple Lock policy.

Millions of people claiming their State Pension can look forward to a bumper income boost this year when payments rise by 8.5 per cent from April 8, 2024. Under the wages growth measure of the Triple Lock policy, those on the full New Sate Pension can expect an annual increase of £902, while those on the full Basic (or Old) State Pension will see an uplift of £692).

The Scottish Government recently announced a new devolved disability payment designed to provide additional financial support for people of State Pension age will not include a mobility component. However, it has also confirmed the new benefit will not include any face-to-face assessments as part of the application process.

Scotland has welcomed the first babies born in 2024 - with one family receiving their little bundle of joy just minutes into the New Year.

Happy New Year from everyone at the Daily Record and Sunday Mail. We hope 2024 brings you all lots of treasured moments and lasting memories.

Lewis Capaldi has issued fans with an update on his mental health and revealed a special treat for them for New year.The singer took to Twitter to announce he will be releasing new music at midnight tonight following his six-month break from the stage due to ongoing health battles.The 27-year-old Scots superstar stepped back from performing in June while noticeably struggling with Tourette's and anxiety issues.

After a presumably very busy Christmas, the Radford family have headed to Disneyland Paris to see in the New Year, marking their 23rd holiday in two years. Parents-of-22 Sue, 48, and Noel, 52, who star in hit TV show 22 Kids & Counting, have whisked their brood off to Paris to end 2023 on a high, with Sue sharing some sweet photos of the getaway on the family's Instagram account.

A frantic search is underway for two schoolboys who have been reported missing from Paisley.

A couple who sank their life savings into renovating a hotel in the Highlands say they've "lost everything" after a flood wreaked havoc on the property. Des Thomson, 50 and Sinead Finnegan, 40, walked into a nightmare when they returned from a trip in Sri Lanka on December 19 to find their beloved Osprey Hotel, in Kingussie, completely destroyed.

Hundreds of homes across the Stewartry are set to benefit from faster broadband speeds.

A man has been found dead and another is missing after a Christmas Eve 'fishing trip' in Alloa.

The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show there are now 12.6 million people across Great Britain receiving State Pension payments, including 1.1 million living abroad and 992,052 in Scotland. Of that overall total, some 9.7 million people are receiving Basic State Pension payments of up to £156.20 each week, while 2.9 million are on - or due to claim - the New State Pension, which is worth up to £203.85 each week.

New figures published by the UK Government show that at the end of March, the number of people making voluntary National Insurance (NI) contributions to top-up missing or incomplete years on their State Pension surged by 85 per cent over the 2022/23 financial year.

A new qualification offering young people an alternative route to university without debt will be launched in Greater Manchester in September next year, the Mayor has confirmed.

So the rumors from earlier this year are true: Noah Baumbach is returning to Netflix for his next film. But the rumor mill got the leads of the film wrong or at least one-half of them.

The latest statistics from Social Security Scotland show that at the end of July, some 93,880 people were in receipt of Adult Disability Payment (ADP)and of those, 42,620 were new applicants and 51,260 were existing Personal Independence Payment (PIP) case transfers.

State Pension provides essential financial support every four weeks for 12.6 million people across Great Britain, including around one million living in Scotland. This regular payment of up to £203.85 per week for the full, New State Pension or £156.20 per week for the Basic State Pension (Category A or B) is available for those who have reached the UK Government’s eligible retirement age, which increased to 66 for both men and women in October 2020.

ousted from Congress by his peers following a damning report that alleged he engaged in ethical and financial wrongdoing.He initially started charging $75 per video, with his fee rising to $500 per video.Kimmel, eager to exploit Santos’s story for laughs, announced a new segment during Friday’s show called, “Will George Santos Say It?”In it, he pranks Santos by sending in requests, using anonymous names, for the gay Republican to respond to questions, offer well-wishes, or read various messages aloud.The first video in the series, “Jimmy Kimmel Pranks George Santos on Cameo,” brought in 1.4 million views on YouTube.