Millions of older people will receive a bumper State Pension boost this year after weekly payments increased by 10.1 per cent in April as part of the annual benefits uprating. The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show there are now 12.6 million people across Great Britain receiving State Pension payments, including 1.1 million living abroad and 992,052 in Scotland.
Of that overall total, some 9.7 million older people will receive Basic State Pension payments of up to £156.20 each week, compared to 2.9 million getting the New State Pension, which is now worth up to £203.85 each week. However, pensions expert Helen Morrissey warns that not everyone over 66 will receive the maximum amount, especially women.
The head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown explained: “Women in particular can have gaps in their National Insurance record that mean they aren’t currently entitled to a full pension.”
