An online petition calling for an increase to the Basic State Pension weekly payment rate so that it matches the New State Pension has passed the 10,000 signature threshold that triggers an official response from the UK Government. However, Parliament is on Easter recess which means a response, most-likely from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), will not be published until they return on April 17.
The latest figures from the DWP show there are now 12.6million people across Great Britain receiving State Pension payments, including more than 992,000 living in Scotland. Of that overall total, there are 9.7million older people receiving Basic State Pension payments of up to £141.85 per week (rising to £156.20 in April), compared to 2.9million getting the New State Pension, which is worth up to £185.15 each week (rising to £203.85 in April).
However, despite a record-breaking rise in payments of the contributory benefit, it is estimated that over 1.8million pensioners are receiving less than £100 per week in State Pension payments. According to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the annual State Pension bill for 2022/23 is £110billion and is estimated to increase to around £148billion by 2027/28.
