More than 1.7 million people over State Pension age receive Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment, with rates rising from April 2026

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More than 1.7 million individuals over State Pension age across Great Britain are currently receiving up to £1,362 each month through a combination of two separate payments provided by the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) and Social Security Scotland.

Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) are paid independently of the State Pension, but can offer additional financial assistance for older people with a disability, long-term illness, or physical or mental health condition.

Attendance Allowance and PADP are not means-tested and are currently valued at either £73.90 for the lower rate or £110.40 for the higher rate each week. As the benefit is typically paid every four weeks, this equates to either £295.60 or £441.60 every payment period.

Pensioners could supplement their current income by up to £5,740 to help with extra costs through either of the disability benefits. However, this is set to increase to £5,959 over the 2026/27 financial year.

Both DWP and Social Security Scotland have now published the proposed payment rates from April 6. The New and Basic State Pension will rise by 4.8 per cent while Attendance Allowance and Pension Age Disability Payments will increase by 3.8 per cent, reports the Daily Record.

The uprating will see the lower rate of both benefits rise from £73.90 per week to £76.70 and the higher rate will increase from £110.40 per week to £114.60. This amounts to either £306.80 or £458.40 every four-week payment period.

The full New State Pension is currently worth £230.25 per week and as the payment is typically made every four weeks this amounts to £921. Annual payments are worth £11,973 over the 2025/26 financial year. This will rise to £241.30 per week or £965.20 every four-week payment period in 2026/27.

Combined with the increased higher rate for Attendance Allowance or PADP (£458.40), someone receiving the full New State Pension could get £1,423 every month from April – though in separate payments. It’s important to note that not all of the 4.1 million people on the New State Pension receive the full amount as it is linked to National Insurance Contributions.

The full Basic State Pension is currently worth £176.45 per week, £705.80 every four-week payment period. Annual payments are worth £9,175.40 over the 2025/26 financial year. Payments will rise to £184.90 per week from April 6, some £739.65 every four-week pay period.

To check your own future State Pension payments, use the online forecasting tool on GOV.UK.

Pensioners with a Scottish postcode can no longer claim Attendance Allowance and need to apply for Pension Age Disability Payment from Social Security Scotland. The amount someone receives for Attendance Allowance or PADP depends on the level of care required.

The benefit is designed to help people of State Pension age with daily living costs as a result of their condition, which can also help them remain independent in their own home for longer. There is no mobility component attached to Attendance Allowance or PADP.

A driving instructor has shared essential roundabout tips to help nervous learner drivers overcome test anxiety and navigate safely, as he urges them to do 1 thing before entering a roundabout

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Mastering the skill of driving is an essential life ability, although it’s anything but straightforward with countless aspects to understand, including the different regulations that come with navigating roundabouts. While seasoned motorists might know how to tackle this without needing to think twice about it, it can frequently feel intimidating or anxiety-inducing for novice, inexperienced drivers. However, there are ways to make it easier.

Adem Veli of Passman Driving is a London-based driving instructor with more than 15 years of expertise, having taught throughout Chingford, Sidcup, and Bexley. He also runs a popular TikTok channel where he posts clips from his driving lessons for his 45,900 followers, as he’s frequently spotted discussing various motoring subjects with his pupils.

In one clip, Adem was captured teaching a woman called Mel, as he proceeded to ask her if there was anything she felt she required more practice on before her upcoming driving test.

“I’d say roundabouts,” Mel replied, explaining she didn’t yet feel confident driving through them.

When questioned about what precisely it was that Mel found unsettling about roundabouts, she explained trying to get out, as she often hesitates when driving, and feels bad when she misses a gap to get into the roundabout.

He then proceeded to reveal his top tip for any learner drivers about reducing their worries about driving through a roundabout. “You don’t just want to just jump out to see, obviously,” the teacher said.

“But sometimes, you might see another experienced driver just shoot out, like, don’t think you have to get out with them.”

Instead, you should ensure you secure a gap that you feel confident driving into before following the proper lanes for your chosen direction.

As they subsequently reached a roundabout, Mel reduced speed before halting prior to the roundabout to watch for any other vehicles approaching, before proceeding through it to turn right onto the following road.

Highway Code’s rules for driving through roundabouts

According to the Highway Code, if you’re approaching a roundabout, you should attempt to absorb all the information surrounding you, such as traffic signs, traffic lights and lane markings which guide you into the lane that will lead you to your selected direction.

Ensure you identify your lane as early as possible, and gradually and safely move over to the correct lane while also adapting your speed and position to match traffic conditions and other motorists around you.

When arriving at the roundabout, you should give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights. You should also verify whether road markings permit you to enter the roundabout without giving way.

If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining. If you’re taking the first left at a roundabout, signal left and approach in the left-hand lane. Stay to the left on the roundabout whilst continuing to indicate left as you exit.

When taking an exit to the right or going full circle, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise, start indicating right and approach the right hand lane. Keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout. Signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want to show other drivers you’re crossing the lane to exit the roundabout.

When there are more than three lanes at the entrance to a roundabout, select the most suitable lane on approach and while navigating through it. Occasionally, road signs will guide you to the correct lane, though this isn’t always the situation.

A catastrophic helicopter crash on the set of The Twilight Zone movie resulted in the tragic deaths of actor Vic Morrow and two children during a scene directed by John Landis in 1982

A horrifying tragedy on a major Hollywood film set claimed the lives of two young children and left 1970s screen legend Vic Morrow decapitated.

The crew were filming The Twilight Zone, co-directed by cinema heavyweight Steven Spielberg – the creative force behind ET, Jaws, Jurassic Park and Gremlins.

The fatal catastrophe unfolded during a helicopter sequence at 2.20am, overseen by co-director John Landis, when seven-year-old Myca Dinh Le and six-year-old Renee Shin-Yi Chen perished alongside Vic Morrow, 53.

So what went wrong?

Morrow, portraying a character called Bill Connor, was supposed to rescue the two youngsters from an abandoned village across a waterway during a US military chase scene, with the aircraft hovering menacingly above, The New York Times reported.

The scene was being captured at Indian Dunes, California, when a planned pyrotechnic blast unexpectedly struck the helicopter’s rotor blades, causing it to plunge into the water.

The devastating impact resulted in the horrific beheadings of Morrow and Le, whilst young performer Chen was killed by the wreckage – the children’s parents witnessed the nightmarish events unfold on July 23, 1982.

Six people on board the helicopter during the disaster sustained minor wounds. Following the catastrophe, both civil and criminal proceedings were initiated against the production team responsible for the shoot, including director Landis.

Nevertheless, after a gruelling nine-month trial, Landis and four other defendants were cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges.

A group of 16 prominent filmmakers, including Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, John Huston, George Lucas, Sidney Lumet and Billy Wilder, wrote a public letter expressing their support for Landis.

However, Spielberg refused to add his name to the list. In an April 1983 interview with the Los Angeles Times, he said: “No movie is worth dying for. I think people are standing up much more now than ever before to producers and directors who ask too much.

“If something isn’t safe, it’s the right and responsibility of every actor or crew member to yell ‘cut!’”.

The families of Le and Chen filed civil lawsuits and reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board released its findings in October 1984, determining the “probable cause of the accident was the detonation of debris-laden high-temperature special effects explosions too near a low-flying helicopter”.

This had led to “foreign object damage to one rotor blade and delamination due to heat to the other rotor blade, the separation of the helicopter’s tail rotor assembly, and the uncontrolled descent of the helicopter”.

The report continued: “The proximity of the helicopter (around 25 feet off the ground) to the special effects explosions was due to the failure to establish direct communications and coordination between the pilot, who was in command of the helicopter operation, and the film director, who was in charge of the filming operation.”

Moreover, investigators found that having the children present had violated child labour laws, which banned youngsters from working at such late hours, let alone being exposed to explosives or aircraft.

Shockingly, despite the fatal incident, production resumed, and the film remains available to view today. Twilight Zone: The Movie was released in cinemas in June 1983.

Koichi Nakano, associate professor of political science at Sophia University, says that despite initial grumbling when the snap election was announced, the LDP appears to be riding high on the prime minister’s popularity. A recent Asahi Shimbun survey suggests the party is on track to gain significantly more than the 233 seats needed for a majority in the 8 February lower house election.

IRELAND XV: Shane Daly (Cork Constitution FC/Munster); Joshua Kenny (Terenure College RFC/Leinster), James Hume (Instonians RFC/Ulster), Dan Kelly (Munster), Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster); Ciarán Frawley (UCD RFC/Leinster), Fintan Gunne (Terenure College RFC/Leinster); Billy Bohan (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Gus McCarthy (UCD RFC/Leinster), Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Charlie Irvine (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster), Fineen Wycherley (Young Munster RFC/Munster), Max Deegan (Lansdowne FC/Leinster) (capt), Bryn Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster), Brian Gleeson (Garryowen FC/Munster).

Replacements: Diarmuid Barron (Garryowen FC/Munster), Sam Crean (Ulster), Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht), Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster), Paul Boyle (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht), Matthew Devine (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Cathal Forde (Galway Corinthians RFC/Connacht), Sean Jansen (Connacht).

ENGLAND ‘A’: Joe Carpenter (Sale Sharks); Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Luke Northmore (Harlequins), Orlando Bailey (Leicester Tigers), Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers); Billy Searle (Leicester Tigers), Harry Randall (Bristol Bears); Tarek Haffar (Leicester Tigers), Jamie Blamire (Leicester Tigers), George Kloska (Bristol Bears), Ben Bamber (Sale Sharks), Joe Batley (Bristol Bears), Ethan Roots (Exeter Chiefs) (capt), Jack Kenningham (Harlequins), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins).

Replacements: Kepueli Tuipulotu (Bath), Archie van der Flier (Leicester Tigers), Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester), Hugh Tizard (Saracens), Fitz Harding (Bristol Bears), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Charlie Atkinson (Gloucester), George Hendy (Northampton Saints).

A driving instructor has shared his handy top tips for tackling roundabouts in the best way when learning to drive, or if you have anxiety when them on the roads

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Mastering the art of driving is a vital life skill, but it’s far from simple with numerous elements to grasp, including the various rules that comes with driving through roundabouts. While experienced drivers might know how to do this without having to think twice, it can often feel daunting or nerve-wracking for new, unexperienced drivers. But there are ways to make it easier.

Adem Veli of Passman Driving is a London-based driving instructor with over 15 years of experience, having taught across popular areas in the capital. He also has a popular TikTok channel where he shares clips from his driving lessons for his 45,900 followers as he’s often seen discussing various motoring topics with his students.

In one video, Adem was teaching a woman named Mel, as he went on to ask her if there was anything she felt like she needed more practice on in her driving lessons.

“I’d say roundabouts,” Mel replied, explaining she didn’t yet feel confident driving through them.

When asked what specifically it was that Mel found unnerving about roundabouts, she explained trying to get out, as she often hesitates when driving, and feels bad when she misses a gap to get into the roundabout.

He then went on to share his top tip for any student drivers about easing their anxieties about driving through a roundabout.

“You don’t just want to just jump out to see, obviously,” the teacher said. “But sometimes, you might see another experienced driver just shoot out, like, don’t think you have to get out with them.”

Instead, you should make sure you get a gap that you are comfortable with driving into before following the correct lanes for the direction of your choosing.

As they then arrived at a roundabout, Mel slowed down and stopped before the roundabout to look out for any other cars coming, before driving through it to turn right onto the next road.

How to correctly drive through a roundabout:

According to the Highway Code, if you’re approaching a roundabout, you should try to take in all the information around you, such as traffic signs, traffic lights and lane markings which direct you into the lane to take you to your chosen direction.

Make sure you known your lane as early as possible, and slowly and safely manoeuvre over to the right while also adjusting your speed and position to fit in with traffic conditions and other drivers around you.

When reaching the roundabout, you should give priority to traffic approaching from your right, unless directed otherwise by signs, road markings or traffic lights. You should also check whether road markings allow you to enter the roundabout without giving way. If so, proceed, but still look to the right before joining.

If you’re taking the first left in a roundabout, use your left signal and approach the left hand lane. Keep to the left on the roundabout and continue signalling left to leave.

When taking an exit to the right or going full circle, unless signs or markings indicate otherwise, start indicating right and approach the right hand lane. Keep to the right on the roundabout until you need to change lanes to exit the roundabout. Signal left after you have passed the exit before the one you want to show other drivers you’re crossing the lane to exit the roundabout.

When there are more than three lanes at the entrance to a roundabout, use the most appropriate lane on approach and through it. Sometimes, road signs will direct you to the right lane, but this is not always the case.

“What assurances do we have that Bryson will repay the cost to the council and the ratepayer?”

A Northern Ireland council has been urged to recoup ratepayers’ cash after the local authority stepped in to help a failing bin collection service.

An environment committee report this week, shows that Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council staff and vehicles assisted in Bryson Recycling with 20,000 properties for about a week in January.

The report states that the intervention by the council has now allowed for Bryson to be “back to business as usual”.

READ MORE: Lisburn rates row erupts over ‘grandstanding’ and confidential breach allegations

READ MORE: PSNI report on ‘dangerous junction’ labelled as ‘false’ at council meeting

Lisburn North independent councillor Gary Hynds said: “Councillor Givan had mentioned such council action at an earlier committee, but it was said that we did not have the resources.

“Is such intervention by the council sustainable in the future?”

The chamber was also told from senior management that Bryson has been experiencing a “period of disruption since August 2025”.

Bryson Recycling, which is responsible for collection bins from 160,000 households across four council areas, has previously identified “unprecedented illness” with its driving staff as the cause of its ongoing delays.

During January’s environment meeting Lisburn North DUP councillor Alan Givan had suggested council staff and lorries being potentially offered to Bryson as support, but this option was not supported in chambers.

Just days later, the council agreed to provide operational support from January 13 to assist Bryson Recycling in recovering outstanding recycling collections.

Castlereagh South Sinn Fein councillor Daniel Bassett added:”I want to say a huge thank you to the environmental services of the council.

“I’m glad Bryson has acknowledged its difficulties and put in place a recovery plan for increased staff members.

“I would also like to have a breakdown of costs to the council.”

The chamber also heard from Alliance councillor Bronagh Magee, that “there were still some areas that have had no bin collections for two weeks”.

Castlereagh South Alliance councillor Martin McKeever added: “I have concerns on the financial impact on ratepayers from the council stepping in. What assurances do we have that Bryson will repay the cost to the council and the ratepayer?

“I couldn’t tolerate the financial burden on the ratepayer.”

A council officer responded:”At the time we responded to Councillor Givan that we did not have the vehicles needed for such kerbside collections of separated recycling materials.

“As a result we had to use open back bin lorries where all separated waste was then co-mingled into the lorry and required to be separated again at Mallusk recycling centre. This really was the last resort and we would not have long term resources for this.

The officer added:”I can now say that bin collections are now back to business as usual. I can assure you there will be a full reimbursement or deduction on the council’s bill.”

The LDRS contacted Bryson Recycling.

A spokesperson said:”This is a contractual matter between Bryson Recycling and the council and we cannot comment on it.”

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Bad Bunny has said he feels a responsibility, as someone with influence, to highlight important issues. He has consistently used his platform and music to not only showcase his culture, but support the LGBTQ community and advocate for Puerto Rico’s self-determination, which has remained an overseas US territory since 1898.

Meanwhile in the Cortina studio from where the coverage over the next fortnight will come, were stationed a presentational trio of Balding, and former Olympians Lizzy Yarnold and Chemmy Alcott. This suggested that, at least as far as the BBC is concerned, there are seemingly no men involved in these Games.

Though, to be fair, there was a bloke to the helm for the ceremony itself. Indeed the BBC had chosen more than wisely in its commentary team. Joining Hazel Irvine behind the microphone was the incomparable racing reporter John Hunt, a man who could use the Olympics’ apparent power to act as a healing balm.

He and Irvine had much to describe. Not least in who was there in the crowd at San Siro. JD Vance was in the pricey seats, while Britain was represented by the unexpected pair of Princess Anne and Lisa Nandy, who was presumably the only available member of the cabinet solely because she has no chance of maneuvering for the Labour leadership.

As it all got underway, Hunt had a good line about the apparent star of the event.

“Shortly we’ll discover Mariah is for life,” he said of Ms Carey, who was about to sing, “not just for Christmas.”

He spoke a bit too soon. All we could see on the screen for what seemed an interminable grind was the kind of wretched interpretive dance that is only ever unleashed at Olympic opening ceremonies.

Eventually, on came Carey, dressed as a meringue, singing Volare, the tune that won Italy the 1958 Eurovision Song Contest. She struggled to reach the high notes before demonstrating her diva credentials by being carried off the stage. The most pressing thought, though, was that rarely can such a storied artistic heritage as that of the host nation have been so blandly represented as it was here.