View From Stormont: What will the Spending Review mean for NI?
Sarah McCarron talks to various sectors about what they hope to see in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' Spending Review.
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Daily Record
18 minutes ago
- Daily Record
New call for full State Pension for half a million older people after Winter Fuel Payment U-turn
Around 453,000 pensioners are living in a country which does not have a reciprocal agreement with the UK Government. Pension Credit – Could you or someone you know be eligible? Earlier this week the UK Government announced Winter Fuel Payments will be reinstated for over 9 million pensioners later this year. The U-turn and Chancellor Rachel Reeves Spending Review on Wednesday have prompted calls from the 'End Frozen Pensions Campaign' for the annual State Pension uprating to be reinstated for around 453,000 retirees living in countries which do not have a reciprocal agreement with the UK Government. The campaign said it would cost the UK Government just under £60 million per year to end this 'historic wrong'. The policy, which prevents State Pensions from being increased annually - to counteract the impact of inflation for UK pensioners living in certain countries - means some are receiving as little as £60 per week, far below the current £176.45 rate for the Basic State Pension for those living in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. John Duguid, Chair of the End Frozen Pensions Campaign, said: "The Government's U-turn on Winter Fuel Payments shows there is a common consensus that the most vulnerable in our society rely on such payments as essential lifelines during times of need. 'Victims of the Frozen Pensions scandal, who receive only a fraction of their full UK State Pension because they live in some countries overseas, should not be excluded from this rationale. Yet the Government's continued refusal to address this longstanding discrimination means they continue to suffer from often negligible levels of state support. 'These British pensioners, many of whom spent their working lives in the UK, receive on average just £60 per week compared to the more than £170 per week they would be entitled to in the UK, or a non-frozen country.' He added: 'Ending this historic wrong would cost just under £60 million per year. This would barely register in the overall State Pension budget. But this isn't only about cost, it is about the principle of treating British state pensioners fairly and equally. 'Similar to the Government's decision to reinstate Winter Fuel Payments, ending this scandal is the correct and morally just action to take. The Government should do right by those who paid fairly into the system, and ensure they have dignity in their retirement.' Last month, cross-party MPs united to intensify pressure on the UK Government over its refusal to reform the so-called 'frozen pensions' policy. Only British overseas pensioners living in specific countries - mostly within the Commonwealth - are impacted, in what Rebecca Smith MP described as "the ultimate postcode lottery'. Those in the USA see the same annual increase as British pensioners living in the UK or France, while those in Australia or Canada, see their State Pension remain 'frozen' and effectively fall in value. For example, 100-year-old Second World War veteran Anne Puckridge, who lived and worked in the UK until the age of 76 and served in all three of the RAF, Navy and the Army, has received just £72.50 per week since 2001, the year she moved to Canada to be nearer her daughter. Jim Shannon MP similarly questioned the logic of the policy applying in only some countries and not others, arguing 'the arbitrary distinction between countries with and without an operating agreement lacks logic and smacks of red tape and bureaucracy gone mad." The Minister for Pensions, Torsten Bell MP, was mostly notably challenged on the estimated cost of ending the policy, which is estimated at £60m per year - 0.04 per cent of the annual State Pension budget - rather than the £950m per year quoted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The difference explained by the fact the DWP are quoting for uprating and backdating payments to account for the years affected pensioners have been frozen. However, campaigners are instead asking to receive the annual increase from this point onwards. Douglas McAllister MP stressed that campaigners and supportive MPs are 'not seeking a full backdating, but for the Government to introduce some form of yearly indexing to answer that injustice'. Longterm critic of the policy Sir Roger Gale MP argued the policy is 'not a matter of cost. It is a matter of moral responsibility and duty.' The Minister was also reminded by a number of MPs that 'the vast majority of impacted pensioners still report having no knowledge of the policy's existence prior to moving overseas'. State Pension payments 2025/26 Full New State Pension Weekly payment: £230.25 Fortnightly payment: £460.50 Four-weekly payment: £921 Annual amount: £11,973 Full Basic State Pension Weekly payment: £176.45 Fortnightly payment: £352.90 Four-weekly payment: £705.80 Annual amount: £9,175 Future State Pension increases The Labour Government has pledged to honour the Triple Lock or the duration of its term and the latest predictions show the following projected annual increases: 2025/26 - 4.1% (the forecast was 4%) 2026/27 - 2.5% 2027/28 - 2.5% 2028/29 - 2.5% 2029/30 - 2.5% Article continues below Recent analysis released by Royal London revealed only around half of people receiving the New State Pension last year were getting the full weekly amount - and around 150,000 were on less than £100 per week.
BBC News
40 minutes ago
- BBC News
Spending Review
For more information on the Winter Fuel Payment announcement for 2025/26, click here, you have received a suspicious message regarding your energy bills, report it by clicking here, apply for the Warm Homes Plan, click here, learn more about the how announcements made in the chancellor's Spending Review will effect you, click here.
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
UK economy NHS struggling councils funding blow
From a surprise economic slump and warnings of a 'National Health State', to council funding concerns, a 74 per cent house price surge, and rising Tesco sales - here are today's top UK business stories. Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The UK economy shrank by 0.3 per cent in April - the biggest monthly fall in 18 months. The drop, which is much worse than expected, is a blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves. She admitted the figures were 'clearly disappointing' but stood by her growth plan. Reeves says the Government's 'investing in Britain's renewal' to help working people. However, one think tank has warned Britain is morphing into a 'National Health State". It follows the spending review, which gave the NHS a £29 billion boost. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad (Photo: Peter Byrne -) | Getty Images The Resolution Foundation says health now completely dominates public service spending. And by 2030, half of all such spending could go to the NHS. 'Lack of investment' in councils: More Business in Brief Meanwhile, the chancellor is also facing criticism for a 'lack of investment' in English councils. MPs warned the spending review fails struggling local authorities, including near-bankrupt ones. The Treasury plans to boost council funding by £3.4 billion a year by 2028. But critics say next year's real-terms rise is just 1.1 per cent - which is not enough to meet demand. UK house prices have soared by 74 per cent in two decades, adding more than £150,000 to the average home. Zoopla says values rose from £113,900 to £268,200 - pricing many out of their hometowns. London saw the biggest jump, with prices more than doubling. But growth was far slower in places like Blackpool and Sunderland.
