New State Pension rates next month could see nearly one million older people paying tax in retirement

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.

Women affected by a change to state pension age, which was not communicated properly, should be compensated, according to a report published today (March 21).

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

The Work and Pensions Committee has said that uprating of benefits should be guaranteed by the UK Government every year and the Household Support Fund should be made permanent. Committee chairman Sir Stephen Timms said the annual “will they or won’t they speculation” in the run-up to each Budget announcement on whether benefits will rise in line with inflation must end.

The latest statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show the State Pension currently provides regular financial support for nearly 12.7 million older people across the country, including over 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 men and women, and have paid at least 10 years' worth of National Insurance Contributions.

More than 45,200 people have signed an online petition calling for a ‘universal’ weekly State Pension payment of nearly £550 in order to match the current hourly rate of the National Living Wage. Petition creator Michael Thompson also suggests making the option to claim State Pension available to everyone from the age of 60.

The chair of the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has indicated that the final report from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) into ‘injustice caused by the maladministration’ of changes to the State Pension age, “is set to be released within weeks”.

Millions of people claiming their State Pension can look forward to an inflation-busting boost next month when payments rise by 8.5 per cent from April 8. Under the wages growth measure of the Triple Lock policy, those on the full New State Pension can expect an annual increase of £902, while those on the full Basic State Pension will see an uplift of £692.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music East Village Radio, the influential streetfront online radio station that broadcast from 2003-2016 and Mark Ronson hosted an influential show for several years, has announced it is planning to relaunch next month. The station, formerly located in a tiny studio behind a glass window at the front of a restaurant on First Avenue in New York’s East Village, opened directly onto the sidewalk, offering an almost surreal intimacy between passersby and the DJs.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said it is “cooperating fully” with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) while it conducts its independent investigation into ‘injustice caused by the maladministration’ of changes to the State Pension age, which has affected millions of WASPI women (Women Against State Pension Inequality). Pensions Minister Paul Maynard MP said the DWP will “carefully consider any findings that arise from the final report”.

Millions of people claiming their State Pension can look forward to an inflation-busting boost next month 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 State Pension can expect an annual increase of £902, while those on the full Basic State Pension will see an uplift of £692.

Social Security Scotland has confirmed that thousands of people claiming Carer’s Allowance will receive one-off payments for £288.60 in June and December this year. Carer’s Allowance Supplement is an automatic payment made twice each year by the Scottish Government to recognise the important contribution made by unpaid carers.

Jenny Newby is one of the most popular stars of Gogglebox, where she stars alongside her best pal, Lee Riley, as they delight fans every Friday night. Jenny and Lee joined the Channel 4 show in 2014, and have been entertaining fans ever since with their hilarious commentary and chemistry together as they watch the week's TV highlights. The hilarious pair film the series inside Lee's holiday caravan in Holderness, Yorkshire.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures indicate that fraud and error in the benefit system is falling after the UK Government restated its determination to drive levels down further and protect taxpayers’ money. The latest national statistics show that in the 2022/23 financial year, fraud and error rates fell to 3.6 per cent (£8.3 billion) from 4.0 per cent (£8.7 billion).

More than 42,200 people have signed an online petition calling for a ‘universal’ weekly State Pension payment of nearly £550 in order to match the current hourly rate of the National Living Wage. Petition creator Michael Thompson has also suggested making the State Pension available to everyone from the age of 60.

Emiliano De Pablos U.K.-based distributor DCD Rights has pre-sold the fourth season of New Zealand’s mystery drama “My Life Is Murder” to a raft of territories ahead of its Feb. 27 official launch at the London Screenings. Starring Lucy Lawless (“Top of the Lake,” “Spartacus,” “Xena: Warrior Princess”), the series’ brand new season rights have been secured by YLE Finland, TV2 Denmark, Quebecor Content Canada and Yes DBS Israel.

The Star Wars franchise is coming to shoot in California for the first time with The Mandalorian & Grogu movie, and the Golden State is paying out its weight in tax incentive gold to have the bounty hunter saga made within state lines.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Score one for true love! Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s romantic comedy “Anyone But You” hit a notable box office milestone with $200 million globally. It stands as the highest-grossing romantic comedy in years, outperforming recent star-driven entries in the genre like Julia Roberts and George Clooney’s “Ticket to Paradise” ($168 million) and the Sandra Bullock-led “The Lost City” ($192 million). “Anyone But You” is the first rom-com in half a decade to cross $200 million, since 2018’s PG-13 “Crazy Rich Asians” ($239 million), and the first of the R-rated variety since 2016’s “Bridget Jones’s Baby” ($211 million).

A Labour peer has urged the UK Government to review the decision to freeze the personal allowance at £12,570 until 2026 as it could see future New State Pension payments exceed the income threshold resulting in more people paying tax in retirement. Lord Davies of Brixton warned that if no changes are made, the State Pension and personal tax allowance are on course to “collide” by the 2027-28 financial year.

Newly updated figures show that during the ongoing cost of living crisis, people in the UK claiming their State Pension entitlement only just break even despite a record-breaking increase to weekly payment rates in April. The research, conducted by pension advisors Almond Financial, looked at the State Pension in comparison to the average cost of living in the UK.