Last chance for people over State Pension age to claim £299 cost of living payment

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.

People over State Pension age who did not receive a Winter Fuel Payment automatically before the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) payment window closed on January 26 have until the end of this month to make a claim for up to £600 in heating bill help.

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

Eddie Vedder joined The Who on stage during the band’s Teenage Cancer Trust show in London last night (March 20) – check out the footage below.The group played their second orchestral show of the week at the historic Royal Albert Hall after kicking off the 2024 TCT concert series on Monday (March 18).To begin the third and final part of yesterday’s gig, frontman Roger Daltrey introduced Pearl Jam‘s Vedder to join The Who on a collaborative rendition of ‘The Punk And The Godfather’ from their 1973 album ‘Quadrophenia’.Daltrey and Vedder traded lines throughout the energetic performance before embracing in the closing moments. Watch a fan-shot video here:The Who and Vedder have teamed up numerous times previously, including at a private cancer benefit show in Los Angeles in 2022 and a charity event in Chicago in 2015.Additionally, Vedder joined The Who on stage at their inaugural Teenage Cancer Trust concert at the Royal Albert Hall in 2000, and guested with the group at Wembley Stadium in 2019 (also on ‘The Punk And The Godfather’).This Sunday (March 24), Vedder will participate in a special closing night event for the 2024 TCT gig series, dubbed ‘Ovation’.

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.

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.

Netflix has announced that its live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender has been renewed for a second and third season.Last night (March 7), Netflix took to social media to announced that the series has been green-lit for two more seasons. However, it is worth nothing that release dates for seasons two and three have yet to be announced.The Avatar will return!! Seasons 2 & 3 of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER are coming! pic.twitter.com/NDxSDP7kZE— Netflix (@netflix) March 6, 2024The announcement comes after the first season of the Netflix series premiered in late February.

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.

Kerry Katona is nothing if not a protective and loving mother. And, speaking exclusively to OK!, the doting mum-of-five has opened up about one topic which has concerned her about her youngest daughter, DJ. The 9 year old, Kerry’s child with her late ex George Kay, seems to have a penchant for make-up and skincare - and it’s not something the star is particularly thrilled about.

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.

Every year, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) issues letters to people in receipt of the State Pension or benefits to let them know how much their payments will be after the annual uprating has been applied in April. Everyone over State Pension age (66) will receive this letter, and Labour peer Lord Davies of Brixton, has confirmed that they are now being issued as he received his last week.

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.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor On Wednesday, Fremantle revealed that it had secured worldwide distribution rights, outside of German-speaking territories, to the premium fantasy drama “Hagen” — a working title — from Constantin Film. Variety spoke to Jan Ehlert, one of the producers on the show, and Jens Richter, CEO commercial and international at Fremantle, about why they backed the ambitious production, which is budgeted at around Euros 45 million ($48.8 million) and will be produced as a six-part series and a feature film for theatrical release.

“Maestro” star and director got emotional on the show when asked about his film’s subject, the “West Side Story” composer Leonard Bernstein, by one of the late musician’s children.“Do you miss him?” daughter Nina Maria Felicia Bernstein asked the actor, who was sitting with Cooper and her siblings, Jamie and Alexander Bernstein, during a December episode of the news program.“Oh, yeah, man,” replied Cooper, 49, who was only 15 years old and attending high school in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, when Bernstein died in 1990. The actor never actually met the man.“What do you miss about him?” interviewer Mo Rocca then wondered.“It’s hard to talk about,” replied a teary Cooper. “I don’t know.