Older state pensioners can receive up to an extra £646.88 per year on top of their standard weekly state pension payments, following an increase in Additional Pension (AP) payments that took effect in April 2026. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed that many older pensioners are eligible for these extra ‘increments’ through the older Additional Pension scheme.
What Is Additional Pension?
Additional Pension is the umbrella term for a range of extra pension schemes that older state pensioners could use before the basic state pension was phased out and replaced in 2016 with the new state pension. AP includes schemes such as the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and the Second State Pension.
Although AP can no longer be claimed by state pensioners retiring now, those who participated in the schemes can still receive AP payments every week.
Increase in Maximum AP Payments
From April 6, the maximum possible AP payment for older state pensioners was increased from £222.10 per week to £230.54 per week. Over a year, this amounts to an extra £646.88 in cash.
This increase is on top of the basic state pension payment, which rose from £176.45 to £184.90 at the same time for an older pre-2016 state pensioner with a full National Insurance record. New state pensioners are only eligible for the new state pension payment, which has been increased from £230.25 to £241.30 per week.
How AP Payments Work
Consumer magazine Which? explains: “Before 2002, you could only contribute to the additional state pension (then known as the state earnings-related pension scheme, or Serps) if you were employed.
“However, under the state second pension scheme, which ran from 2002 to 2016, you could contribute through your National Insurance contributions if you were: an employee earning at least £113 a week, caring for one or more children under 12 and claiming child benefit, claiming carer's credit, or claiming certain disability-related benefits.”
It adds: “There is no fixed amount for the additional state pension. The amount of additional state pension you'll get depends on how many years you paid National Insurance for, how much you earned and whether you contracted out of the scheme. The maximum additional state pension you can get in 2026-27 is £230.54 a week (not including state pension top-up).”
By using AP, an older state pensioner could receive more per week than a new state pensioner, although this depends on uptake of the now-defunct scheme. Otherwise, the triple lock provides less cash to older state pensioners each year if they only have the basic state pension.
