Specific groups of older women may be due State Pension back payments of more than £5,000 this year

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.

A scheme worth one billion pounds is being offered by the UK Government to help more than 300,000 families across Great Britain heat their home for less this year. The Great British Insulation Scheme aims to help low income households save up to £400 on their annual fuel bills through new energy efficiency upgrades.

The latest 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 most-recent 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) - figures for 2023/24 are due to be published next month.

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.

Millions of older people in receipt of the New or Basic State Pension are set for a significant boost this year after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed payments will rise by 8.5 per cent from April 8, 2024. Those with additional State Pension elements or deferred payments, will see an uplift of 6.7 per cent.

More than 39,500 people have signed an online petition calling for income tax on the State Pension to be scrapped in order to help “reduce the tax burden on pensioners” despite the UK Government rejecting the proposal earlier this year. The petition was created after it was announced in November the Personal Allowance income threshold will remain frozen at £12,570 during the 2024/25 financial year.

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.

In Aberdeenshire, you’ll find a region offering the epic scenery of the Cairngorms National Park, as well as wild coastlines and golden beaches.

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.

Tool’s frontman Maynard James Keenan is helping train Mike Tyson, ahead of his boxing match against Jake Paul.The announcement comes after it was revealed earlier this month that the renowned boxer would be taking on the YouTube star-turned-boxer at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Set to take place on July 20, the fight will also be live-streamed on Netflix.Now, it has been revealed that the former Heavyweight athlete has kicked off his training programme at Keenan’s martial arts academy in Cottonwood, Arizona.The iconic rock frontman posted a photo of himself with his wife, Lei Li Keenan, with Tyson on Instagram, confirming that he and his colleagues had been training Iron Mike at the Verde Valley BJJ martial arts school.“Honored to have @miketyson grace our small town academy, @verdevalleybjj,” he wrote in the caption.

An online petition urging the UK Government to increase the current Basic State Pension payment rate from £156.20 to £203.85 each week has now passed the 10,000 signature threshold and is entitled to an official written response, most-likely from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Tobias Menzies is a key player in the Outlander world for his portrayal of Frank Randall. However with the actor also doubling as Black Jack Randall through the stones, fans love to hate him.

Star Wars‘ Millennium Falcon.The special coin will be released this year, with the Royal Mint also unveiling three other vehicles from the franchise that will adorn coins this year – namely the TIE Fighter, X-Wing and Death Star II.The Millennium Falcon coin depicts the ship mid-flight, as well as the Rebel Alliance symbol that reveals itself when the coin is titled towards the light.“We are delighted to celebrate the Star Wars franchise’s numismatic return with a series of coins dedicated to its iconic vehicles,” said Royal Mint’s Rebecca Morgan.A new @StarWarsUK™ coin featuring one of the most iconic vehicles in the history of cinema has landed.The legendary Millennium Falcon is the first to appear on a UK 50p.Add to your collection here – https://t.co/7B0cvZ1XBs pic.twitter.com/mf8I6FvQCp— The Royal Mint (@RoyalMintUK) March 18, 2024“We are excited to enthuse new and existing coin collectors across the world and capture the imaginations of Star Wars’ thriving fan base.”The Royal Mint previously released a series of character coins to mark Return Of The Jedi‘s 40th anniversary last year, including Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.In other Star Wars news, a report released last week from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revealed just how much money Disney has made from the franchise since it bought Star Wars over a decade ago.According to the report, the company has made around $12billion from Star Wars, almost three times what it paid for the franchise ($4.05billion).However, it doesn’t stand as Disney’s most profitable franchise, with Frozen, Toy Story and the Avengers being the top three most valuable assets for the company.Meanwhile, star Ewan McGregor has given fans an update on season two of Obi-Wan

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”.

Around one in five people across the UK are set to receive a massive cash boost from next month, as the new State Pension rates are set to increase by as much as £902 each year for people on the full benefit.

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.

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.