A new campaign could result in state pensioners getting as much as £30,000 a year from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). A petition, posted on the government website, is calling for the State Pension to be provided to all those at the age of 60 while increasing it to the equivalent of 48 hours at the rate of the National Living Wage.
In turn, this would boost the current weekly payment of £221.20 to £328. Currently, those on the new state pension can receive as much as £884.80 a month (£11,502.40 a year) while those on the basic state pension receive £678 every four weeks (£8,814 a year).
If the argued changes came into force, it would result in roughly £28,554.24 a year for those aged 60 and over. The petition states: “We want the Government to make the State Pension available from the age of 60 and increase this to equal 48 hours a week at the National Living Wage.
“Hence from April 2024, a universal State Pension should be £549.12 per week or about £28,554.24 per year as a right to all including expatriates, age 60 and above. We think that Government policy seems intent on the State Pension being a benefit, while increasing the age of entitlement.
“We want reforms so the State Pension is available from age 60, and linked to the National Living Wage.”
It has currently garnered over 5,000 signatures at the time of writing. It comes after the DWP already responded to a separate petition calling for cuts to the Winter Fuel Payment for pensioners to be reversed.
This year, an estimated 10 million pensioners are set to miss out on the Winter Fuel Payment following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s announcement of altered eligibility criteria, which now restricts the payment to those on certain benefits.
In the past, every individual over the state pension age qualified for the Winter Fuel Payments; however, under the new rules, only recipients of specific means-tested benefits like Pension Credit will be eligible.
Labour has justified the move to means-test the payment as a necessary step to address a £22 billion deficit attributed to the previous Conservative government. Despite this, charities have raised concerns that the change could lead to millions of elderly people facing poverty during the winter months.
Responding in writing to the petition, the DWP stated: “The Government has no plans to reverse the means testing of the Winter Fuel Payment but is focusing on increasing Pension Credit take-up to ensure all eligible pensioners continue to receive support.”
It added: “However, The DWP responded by saying: “Given the substantial fiscal pressures this year and next, the Government has had to make difficult decisions to bring the public finances under control. This includes the decision to means-test the Winter Fuel Payment, so it is better targeted to low-income pensioners who need it.”
The department also added: “To ensure Winter Fuel Payments are received by those on the lowest incomes the Government is determined to do everything it can to maximise take-up of Pension Credit which provides a safety net for pensioners on the lowest incomes and opens the door to other benefits including the Winter Fuel Payment.”
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