Older state pensioners could increase their income by up to £422.80 per month through a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) payment designed for people aged 80 and over.
The payment, known as the over‑80 pension, acts as a top‑up for pensioners who receive a low basic state pension or who do not receive one at all.
It is paid to retirees aged 80 and over who receive a basic state pension of £105.70 per week or less, or who receive no basic state pension.
Men born before April 6, 1951, and women born before April 6, 1953, may qualify for the basic state pension, which is currently worth up to £176.45 per week for those receiving the full amount — equivalent to £9,145.40 per year.
To receive the full basic state pension, men born between 1945 and 1951 usually need 30 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions, though some may need up to 44 years depending on their circumstances.
Women typically need 30 qualifying years if born between 1950 and 1953, or 39 years if born before 1950.
Pensioners whose basic state pension falls below £105.70 per week can receive a top‑up through the over‑80 pension to bring their total weekly income up to this level.
The payment is not issued separately; instead, it increases existing basic state pension payments, which are usually paid every four weeks.
Older pensioners could increase their income with a little-known top-up
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Because the top‑up follows the same schedule, eligible pensioners can receive up to £422.80 extra per month from the DWP.
The exact amount depends on how much basic state pension a claimant already receives.
The DWP said: “An 80‑year‑old who gets £43 per week basic State Pension would get an extra £62.70 to top up their weekly amount to £105.70.”
This would amount to around £422.80 per month, or £5,496.40 per year in additional income.
From April, the weekly payment rate for the over‑80 pension will be supplemented with a top-up
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From April, the weekly payment rate for the over‑80 pension, also known as the Category D non‑contributory pension, is expected to rise from £105.70 to £110.75 per week.
This would provide an additional £5.05 per week, increasing monthly payments to around £443, or approximately £5,759 per year.
The DWP said: “To be eligible, you must get either a basic State Pension of less than £105.70 a week, or no basic State Pension at all.
“If you do not get the basic State Pension or you get less than £105.70 a week, you could get the difference paid up to this amount.”
People cannot receive the over‑80 pension if they reached state pension age on or after April 6, 2016. State pension age is currently 66 for both men and women.
The payment is only available from age 80
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The payment is only available from age 80, although applications can be made up to three months before a person’s 80th birthday.
Claimants must also have been a UK resident for at least 10 years within a 20‑year period, including the day before their 80th birthday or any day after.
Eligibility may also apply if a person was ordinarily resident in the UK, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar on their 80th birthday or the date they submitted their claim.
Unlike the basic and new state pension, eligibility for the over‑80 pension is not based on National Insurance records.
The payment counts as taxable income and may affect entitlement to other benefits depending on individual circumstances.