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State pension to rise by more than £400 a year in April – double some winter fuel payments

State pension to rise by more than £400 a year in April - double some winter fuel payments

The state pension is due to rise by 4% in April, giving an extra £460 a year to recipients.

The payment increases by the highest of total average weekly earnings, inflation for September or 2.5%.

How much will pension payments rise?

Figures on Tuesday showed average weekly earnings rose by 4% in the three months to July.

Inflation data for September has not yet been published but stood at 2.2% for July, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

It means the weekly pension payment will rise from the current £221.20 a week to £230.05 a week. From April, when the payment rises, pensioners will get an extra £8.85 a week, equivalent to a top up of £460 year.

The pension rise comes as the government is under pressure having scrapped the winter fuel allowance. The annual rise in pension payments is more than double the allowance for some, worth either £200 or £300.

More on Unemployment

Why are wages going up?

Public sector pay rises may be behind part of the growth, the ONS said.

“Growth in total pay slowed markedly again as one-off payments made to many public sector workers in June and July last year continue to affect the figures,” said the ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown.

Also released today was unemployment data, which eased to 4.1% from 4.2%.

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