I’m sure you’re correct, I wasn’t saying it was a new definition in 2014, just the one in current law as I believe new acts supercede the laws enacted in previous acts.
There was also the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 in which the state pension was also declared to be a benefit, or to give the full definition: a Social Security Contributory Benefit.
It’s all just semantics really and the reason some don’t like the word benefit is the pejorative connotation it’s unjustly earnt to mean government handouts to the workshy and feckless.
Enjoy your imminent triple-locked Social Security Contributory Benefit Wilts, I’m enjoying mine while I can, it’s too good to last.
I’m not a lawyer, just an incessant googler 