{"id":52065,"date":"2014-12-30T00:15:07","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T00:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=d85304699536606bae79bd060579aaa5"},"modified":"2014-12-30T00:15:07","modified_gmt":"2014-12-30T00:15:07","slug":"press-release-over-7500-celebrate-100-in-2014-centenarians-celebrate-with-royal-birthday-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=52065","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Over 7,500 celebrate 100+ in 2014: Centenarians celebrate with royal birthday card"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"govspeak\">\n<p>The team at the Department for Work and Pensions (<abbr title=\"Department for Work and Pensions\">DWP<\/abbr>) that traces those about to have their 100th, 105th and each birthday afterwards forwarded details of 7,517 people on to the Palace to issue a Centenarian card this year. More families and those living abroad may have approached the Palace directly.<\/p>\n<p>The Office for National Statistics (<abbr title=\"The Office for National Statistics\">ONS<\/abbr>) estimates a total of 13,780 people are aged 100 or more in the UK \u2013 a rise of 70% in a decade. This compares with 8,060 centenarians in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>Most recent estimates show of the 797,000 babies less than 1 year old living in the UK in 2013, 123,000 boys and 151,000 girls are expected to live until their 100th birthday in 2113.<\/p>\n<p>Women reaching 100 this year will have started receiving the State Pension in 1974 \u2013 when the basic State Pension was \u00a310 a week. <\/p>\n<p>Men reaching 100 in 2014 will have hit State Pension age in 1979 \u2013 when the basic State Pension was \u00a323.30. <\/p>\n<p>The basic State Pension now stands at \u00a3113.10 and will rise to \u00a3115.95 from April 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Minister for Pensions Steve Webb said:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>It is a massive source of celebration that more of us are living longer fuller lives and thousands of centenarians have celebrated their 100th birthday with a very special card.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">Our reforms will ensure the State Pension remains strong for future generations and I am proud we are protecting today\u2019s pensioners with the Triple Lock meaning the basic State Pension is at the highest percentage of earnings since 1992.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Centenarian team leader Margaret Wilberforce-Eke said: <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Every day we help families mark amazing celebrations. Reaching 100 might be becoming more common, but it is still very special for all those involved.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">It is a privilege to be involved in just a small part of these birthdays \u2013 but we hear back that receiving a card is the perfect finishing touch for a great day.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Throughout their lives, these centenarians born in 1914 have lived through 2 world wars, the Cold War and the rise of the information age.<\/p>\n<p>They turned 21 in 1935, when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the board game Monopoly was released in the United States<\/li>\n<li>Porky Pig made his debut<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They turned 40 in 1954, when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hancock\u2019s Half Hour debuted on BBC radio<\/li>\n<li>Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia <\/li>\n<li>Roger Bannister ran the first 4 minute mile<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They hit 60 in 1974, when:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Richard Nixon announced his resignation<\/li>\n<li>Ceefax started<\/li>\n<li>the Rubik\u2019s Cube was invented<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The government has made a series of reforms to help people prepare for retirement \u2013 as increased longevity demands action to keep the State Pension fair and sustainable. <\/p>\n<p>The new State Pension starting from April 2016 will make the State Pension simpler for future generations, automatic enrolment is helping millions to save for a more comfortable retirement, and new pension freedoms will give savers more control over their hard-earned money.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"more-information\">More information<\/h2>\n<p>Only British Nationals receive a card from the Queen, other nationalities receive a card from the Secretary of State.<\/p>\n<p>British citizens receive cards on their 100th, 105th and every subsequent birthday from the Queen and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.<\/p>\n<p>If customers are not getting state benefits a direct application can be made through the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.royal.gov.uk\/\">Buckingham Palace<\/a> website. Buckingham Palace then requires birth certificates or other documentation to prove identity of the applicant.<\/p>\n<p>The <abbr title=\"Department for Work and Pensions\">DWP<\/abbr> Centenarian team, based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, contacts people approaching their 100th, 105th and every subsequent birthday who are getting State Pension.<\/p>\n<p>Read the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/ons\/rel\/mortality-ageing\/estimates-of-the-very-old--including-centenarians-\/2002---2013--england-and-wales--united-kingdom-\/index.html\"><abbr title=\"The Office for National Statistics\">ONS<\/abbr> data on centenarians<\/a><br \/>\nand the <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.ons.gov.uk\/ons\/rel\/lifetables\/historic-and-projected-data-from-the-period-and-cohort-life-tables\/2012-based\/sty-babies-living-to-100.html\"><abbr title=\"The Office for National Statistics\">ONS<\/abbr> population and mortality projections for men and women<\/a><\/p>\n<p>See the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/abstract-of-statistics-2013\">basic State Pension rates<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-get-a-congratulatory-card-from-the-queen\">How to get a congratulatory card from the Queen<\/h2>\n<p>Read about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/get-birthday-anniversary-message-from-queen\">receiving a congratulatory card from the Queen<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"contact-the-press-office\">Contact the Press Office<\/h2>\n<p>Media enquiries for this press release \u2013 \t0203 267 5123<\/p>\n<div class=\"contact postal-address\" id=\"contact_827\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<h3>Press Office<\/h3>\n<div class=\"vcard contact-inner\">\n<p class=\"adr\">\n<span class=\"street-address\">Caxton House<br \/>\n<br \/>\nTothill Street<\/span><br \/><span class=\"locality\">London<\/span><br \/><span class=\"postal-code\">SW1H 9NA<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"email-url-number\">\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">London Press Office (national media and London area enquiries only \u2013 not questions about personal claims)<\/span><br \/>\n              020 3267 5144\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Out-of-hours (journalists only)<\/span><br \/>\n              076 59 108 883\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">England and Wales (local media enquiries)<\/span><br \/>\n              029 20 586 then 097 or 098 or 099\n            <\/p>\n<p class=\"tel\">\n              <span class=\"type\">Scotland (local media enquiries)<\/span><br \/>\n              0131 310 1122\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Follow <abbr title=\"Department for Work and Pensions\">DWP<\/abbr> on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Twitter \u2013 <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.twitter.com\/dwppressoffice\">www.twitter.com\/dwppressoffice<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>Facebook \u2013 <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dwp\">www.facebook.com\/dwp<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>LinkedIn \u2013 <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/dwp\">www.linkedin.com\/company\/dwp<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>YouTube \u2013 <a rel=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/dwp\">www.youtube.com\/dwp<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over 7,500 people celebrated their 100th-plus birthdays in 2014 with a celebratory card from the Queen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52065"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52065"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52065\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}