Some younger state pensioners are set for a bumper August, with two DWP state pension payments totalling up to £1,930.40 due in the same month.
Those who reached state pension age after April 2016 receive a higher basic weekly rate of £241.30, compared with £184.90 for older pensioners, following the April Triple Lock boost which added 4.8%. New state pensioners do not receive certain incremental additions, such as Additional Pension or Second State Pension payments.
How the double payment works
Although state pension figures are usually reported weekly, the DWP actually pays them every four weeks. For new post-2016 pensioners with a full National Insurance record, each four-week payment is up to £965.20.
The payment date depends on the last two digits of a person's National Insurance number. According to the DWP, those whose NI number ends in digits between 00 and 19 are normally paid on Mondays. Since August 2026 has five Mondays, pensioners with these numbers will receive two payments in that month, reaching a maximum total of £1,930.40.
Partial records and tax changes
Those with incomplete National Insurance records will receive less, with the DWP calculating the reduction case-by-case when someone reaches state pension age. The annual basic-rate payment for an older state pensioner comes to £12,547.60.
Former Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that state pensioners who exceed the £12,570 Personal Tax Allowance will not owe tax on their state pension if they have no other income. New Chancellor John Healey has confirmed he will stick to that commitment, although details of how it will work are yet to be revealed. HM Treasury has confirmed to the Express that Additional State Pension schemes for older pensioners will not be exempt from tax.
