OAPs to get £140 a week in shake-up

MINISTERS are planning a radical overhaul of the state pension system which could see every pensioner receiving the same £140-a-week payment.

As well as the increase to pension payouts - the current basic state pension is paid at 97.65 for a single person and 156.15 for a couple - the shake-up would end means-tested top-ups for the poorest pensioners.

The changes, which are due to be detailed in a green paper by the end of the year, mean a single person could receive 7280 a year and a couple 14,560. Ministers believe that by removing means testing they can save around 6bn in red tape per year.

Married couples and stay-at-home mothers are likely to benefit the most, as the latter often fail to qualify for the full basic pension because they have taken time out from work and have not built up enough national insurance contributions.