PAT MCFADDEN: 'Pensioners deserve a dignified and fulfilling retirement'

PAT MCFADDEN: 'Pensioners deserve a dignified and fulfilling retirement''This government will always protect our pensioners, and that's why we are raising the full rate of new State Pension by £575 this coming year', the Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden writesCommentsNewsopinionPat McFadden22:30, 04 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesPensioners are set for a boost(Image: Getty)I know global shocks, and the effects they have on our living costs, will be increasing anxiety for many households. And those on the state pension are very much in my thoughts.‌Those carefully calculating the number of hours you can heat your home, the cost of a drive to see family, or the essentials you can afford at the supermarket.‌This government will always protect our pensioners, and that's why we are raising the full rate of new State Pension by £575 this coming year.‌READ MORE: Child Benefit payments are rising next week - see how much you will get from HMRCREAD MORE: PIP payments rising next week as DWP confirms new rates - how much you will getView 2 ImagesPat McFadden, UK work and pensions secretary, praised pensioners(Image: Bloomberg, Bloomberg via Getty Images)Our commitment to the Triple Lock means it is a 4.8% rise - or in other words, £120 more than if it had been uprated by inflation alone. By the end of this parliament, pensioners incomes will have risen by £2,100 since we were elected.Article continues belowFrom next week, those who retired before April 2016 with 30 years of qualifying National insurance payments, will get a weekly raise from £176.45 to £184.90 - an extra £440 over a year. And those on the new state pension who retired since April 2016, will see an increase from £230.25 to £241.30 a week - or £575 a year with a full qualifying National Insurance record.The Pension Credit minimum standard will also increase by 4.8% to £238 a week for single pensioners and £363.25 for couples. Our investment in the NHS means thousands more pensioners are getti...