DWP breaks silence over increasing Basic and Full State Pension to £549

DWP has responded to a Parliamentary petition which calls on the Labour Party government to increase the state pension's benefits to a whopping £549.
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The Department for Work and Pensions has broken its silence over calls to uprate the state pension to a whopping £549 for people over 60. The DWP has responded to a Parliamentary petition which calls on the Labour Party government to increase the state pension's benefits to a whopping £549.

In its response issued Thursday, the DWP stated it "has no plans to make state pension available from the age of 60 or to increase State Pension to equal 48 hours of work a week at the National Living Wage".

The petition had urged: "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." It added: "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.

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"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."

The DWP replied: "There are no plans to bring State Pension age back down to 60. Increases to State Pension age have been in legislation since the Pensions Act 1995, which legislated to equalise State Pension age for both men and women to age 65. There have since been a number of legislated increases to State Pension age introduced under successive Governments. State Pension age is currently 66 and set to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028 and to 68 between 2044 and 2046.

"Under the Pensions Act 2014, the Government has a statutory duty to periodically review whether the rules about State Pension age remain appropriate. To date there have been two Reviews - one in 2017, and the latest in 2023. The next Government Review must be completed by March 2029."