what do you think the State Pension is if not a benefit?
As I said, Corby, it is a benefit for those who have paid no contributions. For those who have it is no more a benefit than a private pension is. The confusion arises because people who have spent their lives drawing working age benefits are said to graduate to a “pension” at retirement age. This is not true; they move from working age benefits to retirement age benefits. A pension is payment of monies previously paid in. The fact that your DWP entitles them “benefits”, corby, does not alter this. See this definition of a “pension”:
“a fixed amount, other than wages, paid at regular intervals to a person or to the person's surviving dependents in consideration of past services, age, merit, or loss sustained, etc.: e.g. a retirement pension. “
Note the important phrase “…in consideration of past services…” Hence, no past services (or contributions), no pension. The government (via the DWP) obviously wants to portray an aura of munificence and give the impression they are providing something for nothing. In fact they are only doing so when the recipient has paid nothing in.
"why does this say NA for 2013-14 for the over 65 allowance, please? "
Because the higher tax allowance for over 65s is to be abolished, boxtops.