State pensioners under 77 can receive up to £1,930.40 in August 2026, as two sets of DWP payments fall within the same month. Those who reached state pension age after April 2016 receive a higher weekly rate of £241.30, compared to £184.90 for older pensioners, assuming a full National Insurance record.
Why August brings double payments
The DWP pays state pension every four weeks, not weekly. Because August 2026 has five Mondays, pensioners with National Insurance numbers ending in digits between 00 and 19 will get two payments that month. The first covers the usual four-week period, and the second lands on August 31, resulting in a total of eight weeks' worth of pension in a single month.
For new state pensioners, each four-week payment is up to £965.20. With two payments in August, the maximum total reaches £1,930.40 before September begins. Those with incomplete National Insurance records will receive less, with the DWP calculating the exact amount case-by-case when they first reach state pension age.
Who qualifies as a new state pensioner
New state pensioners are those who reached state pension age in 2016 or later. This means they were no older than 63 for women and 65 for men at that time, and could be up to 76 now depending on their birthday. The April Triple Lock boost added 4.8% to payments, though new pensioners do not receive certain incremental additions like Additional Pension or Second State Pension.
The annual basic rate for an older state pensioner totals £12,547.60. Meanwhile, former Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that future state pensioners exceeding the £12,570 Personal Tax Allowance will not owe tax on their pension if they have no other income. New Chancellor John Healey has confirmed he will maintain this policy, though details are yet to be revealed. HM Treasury has confirmed that Additional State Pension schemes for older pensioners will not be exempt from tax.
