State pensioners aged 80 or over can get a payment boost of up to £110.75 per week with a single claim to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The 'over 80 pension' is a top-up for those receiving less than this amount in basic State Pension.
Who is eligible for the over 80 pension?
Pensioners aged 80 and over who get a basic State Pension of less than £110.75, or have no basic State Pension at all, can top up their income. The old, basic State Pension is paid to men born before April 6, 1951, and women born before April 6, 1953, and is currently worth a maximum of £184.90 per week in the 2026 to 2027 tax year.
For those with a full qualifying National Insurance record, this means up to £9,614.80 in basic State Pension payments this tax year, but not everyone will be eligible for the full amount. If you get less than £184.90 per week, it's likely due to fewer qualifying National Insurance years or being contracted out of the additional State Pension.
How the over 80 pension works
The over 80 pension, also known as a Category D State Pension, is paid to eligible older pensioners on a low income. Following a 4.8% uplift in April, the Category D weekly rate is now worth up to £110.75 for the 2026/27 tax year, up from £105.70 previously.
It is not a separate weekly payment but a top-up to your existing basic State Pension, usually paid every four weeks. The amount you get depends on how much basic State Pension you receive. The DWP explains: “What you get depends on how much basic State Pension you get, if any. If you do not get the basic State Pension or you get less than £110.75 a week, you could get the difference paid up to this amount.”
For example, an 80-year-old receiving £45 a week basic State Pension may have it topped up by £66.75 to £110.75 a week.
Eligibility and how to claim
The over 80 pension is only available to people aged 80 or over, and you can't claim it if you reached State Pension age on or after April 6, 2016. To be eligible, you must have been a UK resident for at least 10 years out of a 20-year period, including the day before you turned 80 or any day after, or have been 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, the Isle of Man, or Gibraltar on your 80th birthday or the date you submitted your claim.
Unlike the basic and new State Pension, eligibility isn't based on National Insurance contributions. The over 80 pension counts as taxable income, so it could affect other benefits. You can claim by requesting a form from your local Jobcentre Plus or calling the Pension Service on 0800 731 7898. The earliest you can submit a claim is up to three months before your 80th birthday, or any time after.
