People on State Pension, PIP, Universal Credit and other benefits should expect delay for new April pay rates

The appointment of a key community figure to head up a new town board that will implement a massive £20m injection in Dumfries has been slightly delayed.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is rumoured to have fans back at his old club Ajax, despite recent scrutiny of his role at Old Trafford.

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.

A fifth of households claiming legacy benefits have had them stopped after failing to switch to Universal Credit before the deadline on the Migration Notice letter, a new report has found. The National Audit Office (NAO) called on the UK Government to ensure people are getting the benefits they are entitled to as the Managed Migration process of moving people from the older benefits system continues.

GIRLBAND! have debuted a playful new single, ‘Not Like The Rest’.The alternative newcomers hail from Nottingham and are signed to EMI North, where they are labelmates with the likes of Nadine Shah.Per a press release, members Georgie, Jada and Kay came together after making music in other projects and, during the pandemic, they “plugged into the wider community in Nottingham, one that inspired them with 80s culture, vintage fashion and massive dose of 90s nostalgia, Gwen Stefani and R&B groups.” The sound they carved out has been described as “a punk band making pop songs”.Now, their spirited new single sees them take a trip down memory lane, thinking back to growing up in a small town and not fitting in – “My school was so white/My town was so grey/I was a rainbow, had to hide away/On the 54 bus, she was my first crush/That’s when I knew I had to run away.”Check out ‘Not Like The Rest’ below:The band are set to head out on tour later this year and also have festival appearances booked at the likes of Stockton Calling, Sound City, Teddy Rocks and Block Party in France.You can see the full list of their headline tour dates below and buy your tickets here.MAY3 – Manchester, Deaf Institute 9 – London, The Grace10 – Newport, Le Pub11 – Bristol, Louisiana16 – Southampton, The Joiners18 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms GIRLBAND! have also been announced to be supporting Taking Back Sunday on tour in the UK next month – you can find those dates below and buy your tickets here.MARCH26 – Manchester, O2 Ritz27 – London, O2 Forum Kentish Town28 – Cardiff, University Great HallThey will also be supporting Feeder at York’s Barbican and Manchester’s Albert Hall on March 19 and 20 – you can find tickets here.

A fifth of households claiming old-style benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) have had them stopped after failing to switch to Universal Credit, a new report has found.

A British student hopes to become the fist deafblind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest after reaching base camp last year - and deciding she must make as many memories as possible before she risks losing her sight for good.

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.

The Good Morning Britain team were overcome with emotion as they bid farewell to Ben Shephard on Friday, 23 February.The TV presenter marked his final day on the ITV show as he gets set to switch over to hosting This Morning in March. Ben, 49, has been part of the GMB team for 10 years, so his final day was understandably an emotional affair. He fronted his last show with co-star and good friend Kate Garraway, 56, who struggled to hold back her feelings.

An MSP is demanding the rollout of reusable nappy schemes across Scotland which could save new parents up to £500.

While Dunder Mifflin was the setting for arguably the most popular mockumentary style sitcom to date, it was also home to Ivy League graduates. "The Office" was the story of the less-than-typical days of office employees in Scranton, Pennsylvania.The comedic sitcom was shot in a documentary style format and ran from 2005 to 2013. As it turns out, some of "The Office" cast members received Ivy League educations before being cast in the Primetime Emmy award-winning sitcom.

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.

A new online petition is urging the UK Government to “commit to not increasing the State Pension age above 68” following the publication of new research by the International Longevity Centre, which suggested that the State Pension age will need to rise to 71 by 2050 to keep up with projected longer life expectancy.

The latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics show that in 2021, 3.3 million people aged 65 years and over were living alone in England and Wales, with around 337,000 single pensioner households recorded in Scotland. Navigating the ongoing cost of living crisis can be challenging for any household, but for older people on their own it’s essential that they are claiming all the additional financial support they are entitled to.

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).

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has responded to an online petition calling for the UK Government not to use new proposed powers to access bank accounts of people receiving State Pension payments. More than 12,600 people have signed the petition, however, the DWP’s written response clarifies the new measures and the types of State Pension bank accounts that may flag up for review due to potential fraud or error.

Bosses behind Piccadilly Tap have unveiled plans for a new pub in the city centre. The new spot will be located at Oxford Road station, and follows the launch of Victoria Tap at Victoria Station last October.

The latest statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that the State Pension currently provides regular financial support for nearly 12.7 million older people across Great Britain, including over one million retirees living in Scotland. This payment is administered by the UK Government and is available for those who have reached the eligible retirement age - currently 66 for both men and women - who have accrued at least 10 years' worth of National Insurance Contributions.

Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund - according to reports.