New State Pension payments set to exceed personal tax allowance if threshold remains frozen at £12,570

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.

Lauren Mayberry has shared a new single called ‘Change Shapes’ – you can listen to it below.Arriving today (March 8), the song marks the third solo release from the Chvrches frontwoman following 2023’s ‘Are You Awake?’ and ‘Shame’.Explaining the idea behind the track, Mayberry said it delves into the idea of performance – whether in her band or presenting what her audience, peers and the music industry overall want her to be.“How do I keep people happy enough that they’ll let me do the creative work that I want to? I feel quite fake and hypocritical sometimes because so much of the narrative around the band is ‘feminist,’ but my experience inside of it hasn’t been a lot of the time,” she wrote.“I feel like I did all this work to make things function but when you DO adapt yourself in that way, it’s seen as manipulative, in order to get what you want.”Over a pulsating synth line and snappy drums, Mayberry sings: “It’s exhausting trying so hard all the time/ Performative hypocrisy took over my mind/ I’m a doll inside a box/ With a ball and a chain/ I bend over backwards, tiptoe along every wire/ Guess I’m quite the actress, no one knows I’m a liar/ I’m preaching to the choir/ I’m a body for hire.”‘Change’ is accompanied by an official lyric video – tune in here:Mayberry first shared details of her “fun, freaky, sad, weird [and] joyful” solo material last July before heading out on tour in North America, the UK and Europe in the autumn.

A report published by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said it is “very concerned” the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reported yet another historic underpayment of State Pension last year, which it estimates may have left some 210,000 pensioners - mostly women - out of pocket by a total of £1.3 billion”, going back decades.

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.

Stranger Things fans have been left confused by Millie Bobby Brown‘s accent, which appears to have shifted from the British accent they’re used to hearing.Brown appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon accompanied by her dog Winnie, but many viewers picked up on the fact her accent was British one minute and then American the next, or perhaps a hybrid of both.The actress moved to Florida with her family when she was eight but her British accent has still largely stuck for most of her career.In the new interview, where Brown was promoting a new film Damsel, that no longer appears to be the case.“since when did millie bobby brown lose her british accent… HELLO??” one fan pointed out, while another said: “millie bobby brown developing an american accent was not on my bingo cards for 2024”millie bobby brown developing an american accent was not on my bingo cards for 2024— bry (@forgetmetwo) March 1, 2024since when did millie bobby brown lose her british accent… HELLO?? pic.twitter.com/SjvY4jmqrK— banjo (@flamingpuddle) March 4, 2024Whatever happened to Millie Bobby Brown’s accent happened really fast because even six months ago she didn’t sound this American— AMAAAA (@OhMyPerd) March 2, 2024millie bobby brown losing her southern english accent makes me sad DONT BECOME AMERICAN.— mya˚ʚ♡ɞ˚is missing louis (@l1ttlefreakkrry) March 4, 2024The change in her accent might also be explained by the fact that she is currently filming the final season of Stranger Things.Elsewhere in the interview, Brown revealed how she got engaged to Jake Bongiovi. ”Jake and I bonded over diving,” she said.

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.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor have debuted three brand new tracks while kicking off their 2024 world tour.The group kicked off their massive 2024 tour on Saturday, February 26 at the Knockdown Center in Queens, New York. While hitting the stage, they treated gig attendees to three new tracks that have yet to be released.

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.G. Cook has announced his forthcoming LP ‘Britpop’ and has shared a new single, which features vocals by Charli XCX.The album’s title track features XCX singing “Brit, Brit, Brit / Like Britpop” over a whimsical, pulsing beat.

the ailing monarch’s coronation festivities in May, has reportedly transitioned into a more behind-the-scenes role. A palace source claimed to the Times on Thursday that Thompson, 40, “remains senior equerry to the King and the Queen, in a more executive and less public-facing role.”The outlet added that Thompson is “understood not to have enjoyed the public attention he received after attending several high-profile events with the King.” The Post has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.

A. G. Cook, the producer and founder of P.C.

Bleachers have released their new single ‘Me Before You’.The New Jersey band are due to release their upcoming self-titled album, which is scheduled for March 8 via Dirty Hit. So far, they’ve shared the singles ‘Modern Girl‘, ‘Alma Mater‘ and ‘Tiny Moves‘.Now, Bleachers have shared their final teaser in the form of their new song, ‘Me Before You’.

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.

PVRIS have returned with their new single ‘Burn the Witch’, a collaboration wtih Tommy Genesis and Alice Longyu-Gao. Check it out below.The track is the lead single from PVRIS’ forthcoming project, which is due to be released this spring via Hopeless Records.

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).

English Teacher have dropped their seething new single ‘R&B’.The post-punk band have shared the latest song from their upcoming album ‘This Could Be Texas‘, due out April 12 via Island. ‘R&B’ was previously released in 2021, and has been re-recorded for their new record.Frontwoman Lily Fontaine has said this single is about a former partner: “When I was with him I had writer’s block and to add insult to irony, the only idea I had was for an R&B top line – the genre people always assumed I worked in.“As soon as he ended it, I converted that top line into the lyrics and riff for ‘R&B,’ and took it to my three best mates.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Vampire Weekend has announced a 2024 tour in support of their forthcoming album “Only God Above Us,” in addition to releasing the album’s first two singles “Capricorn” and “Gen-X Cops.” After the album’s arrival on April 5, the North American jaunt will kick off on Apr. 8 in Austin, TX, and make stops in more than 35 cities such as Los Angeles, Berkeley, Seattle, Cincinnati, Toronto, Boston, New York and Atlanta.