Millions of WASPI women could see State Pension age compensation proposal before end of July

Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaigners have been delivered a blow to their drive for compensation, with the progress of recent weeks now "defunct", following Rishi Sunak's announcement of a July 4 general election.

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 both men and women, and have paid at least 10 years' worth of National Insurance Contributions.

More than 63,300 people have signed an online petition calling for a ‘universal’ weekly State Pension payment of nearly £550 to bring it into line with the National Living Wage rate. Someone on the full, New State Pension currently receives £221.20 each week while those on the maximum Basic State pension get £169.50.

The first victims of the infected blood scandal will receive their final compensation payment before the end of the year.

Work and Pensions Secretary of State, Mel Stride MP, will face questions from the Work and Pensions Committee this week in an accountability session examining the work of his Department as well as recent UK Government announcements and policy developments. The meeting with the cross-party group of MPs will take place on Wednesday, May 22 at 9.25am.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently published a new update on progress of the State Pension Underpayments Legal Entitlements and Administrative Practice (LEAP) exercise. The latest figures show that 97,016 people over State Pension age - mostly women - have received back payments averaging £2,192, £5,713 and £12,486, depending on their pension category.

An online petition calling for a public inquiry to be held into changes made to the State Pension age for women born in the 1950s has passed the 10,000 signature threshold and is now entitled to a written response from the UK Government.

Nearly one million people across Great Britain, including 83,903 living in Scotland are currently receiving £81.90 each week in Carer’s Allowance. However, many of those claimants may not be aware of several changes in circumstances that must be reported to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or risk losing their benefit entitlement.

The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that at the end of August 2023, more than 1.5 million older people were receiving additional financial support through Attendance Allowance, including over 136,200 living in Scotland. This is a significant increase of 36,061 on the number of people claiming the non-means tested benefit in the previous quarter, ending in May 2023.

The Scottish Government will replace Winter Fuel Payments with a new devolved lump sum later this year. Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP) is set to be provided on a like-for-like basis to its Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) counterpart and paid to everyone over the State Pension age every year.

New rules laid out by the DWP for Universal Credit claimants have come into play today following their launch yesterday (Monday, May 13).

A new online petition is calling for all people over the official age of retirement (66) to be paid the New State Pension weekly rate of £221.20, some £884.80 every four-week pay period. At present, those who reached retirement age before April 6, 2016 are only eligible for the Basic State Pension, which is worth up to £169.50 each week, some £678 every pay period.

Stargazers could be in for a treat tonight with the chance that the Northern Lights are visible across the country due to a severe geometric storm.

More than 8,500 people have signed an online petition calling for a public inquiry to be held into changes made to the State Pension age for women. Petition creator Kay Clarke argues that increases to the State Pension age have left many women in “financial and mental despair” and believes that an inquiry “is necessary to expose the truth”.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) started writing to older men and women in September 2023, whose National Insurance (NI) records may have been affected by missing periods of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP), resulting in a shortfall in their State Pension payments.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told MPs that he “understands the strong feelings” across Parliament over the lack of response to the recently published Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s (PHSO) final report into the impact of changes to the State Pension age for women born in the 1950s. During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, he acknowledged the “desire for urgency in addressing them” but added that an update “will be given to the House once those findings have been fully considered”.

There are several changes in circumstances people receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) must tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about or risk losing their benefit entitlement and having regular payments paused or stopped. Changing your name, doctor, health professional or address do not need to be reported to the DWP and will have no impact on your payments or your award.

The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show the State Pension is providing essential financial support for nearly 12.7 million people across Great Britain, including more than one million living in Scotland. This regular payment is now worth up to £221.20 per week for those on the New State Pension (claimed after April 6, 2016), or £169.50 each week for the Basic State Pension (Category A or B).

Hundreds of thousands of older women are due to receive a letter from HM Revenue and Customs letting them know their National Insurance (NI) record may contain missing periods of Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) which in turn has affected the level of Basic or New State Pension they are entitled to. The Treasury started issuing these letters in September last year and is working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to correct any administration errors as quickly as possible.

More than 1.5 million older people claiming Attendance Allowance are set for a significant income boost this year now that the annual Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uprating has been applied. On top of the 6.7 per cent increase, both the New and Basic State Pension have risen by 8.5 per cent.