The State Pension will increase by 2.5% in April, the Government has confirmed.
That's the equivalent of £2.85 a week for a single person, taking their State Pension payment to £115.95 a week.
The increase is due to the Government’s ‘triple lock’ policy, which determines how much the State Pension will increase each year.
It ensures that the State Pension will increase by the largest of the following three figures:
- inflation;
- change in average earnings; or
- 2.5%.
As inflation was well below 2.5%, and remains so, and average earnings are at around 0.6%, this year 2.5% is the largest figure.
The Government has been keen to point out that the increase is nearly double the current rate of inflation, which is currently 1.3%, although many pensioners face higher personal inflation than the average due to the rising cost of things such as gas and electricity bills.
[SPOTLIGHT]In addition, the rise is being passed onto the standard minimum guarantee in Pension Credit, which helps pensioners on lower incomes. So pensioners on lower incomes will enjoy weekly pensions of £151.20 from April 2015.
The move follows yesterday’s confirmation that the new flat-rate State Pension will be at least £151.25 when it launches in April 2016.