Schedule 1: Part 8:  Increase in pensionable age for men and women
244.Paragraphs 40 to 43 of this Schedule make consequential amendments to the SSCBA1992. These take effect from April 2024 (see the note to subsection (3) of section 13).
245.Paragraph 40 will allow the upper age limit for widow’s pension, which is currently 65, to align with rising state pension age. Widow’s pension is only payable to women who were widowed before 9 April 2001, and was replaced by bereavement benefit for men and women bereaved after that date.
246.Paragraphs 41 and 42 relate to, respectively, the minimum age for entitlement to attendance allowance and the upper age limit for claiming disability living allowance (both 65). The amendments will align the present age thresholds with rising state pension age.
247.Paragraph 43 relates to the qualifying conditions for the Christmas bonus. Where entitlement to the payment is by virtue of entitlement to a war disablement pension, the person is additionally required to have reached the age of 65. The amendment will align the qualifying age with rising state pension age in these cases.
248.Paragraph 44 of this Schedule, which amends the State Pension Credit Act 2002, aligns the qualifying age for entitlement to the savings credit element (currently 65) with rising state pension age.