Older state pensioners can receive up to £415.44 per week from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) this financial year if they maximise two elements of their payments. This is because many older pensioners are still eligible for extra 'increments' on top of their basic state pension through an older scheme called Additional Pension (AP), which can amount to £174.14 more per week than a younger, post-2016 state pensioner aged under 77.
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 by the new state pension. AP includes schemes like the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and the Second State Pension.
Although it can no longer be claimed anew by state pensioners retiring now, those who took part in the schemes can still get AP payments every week. Starting from April, the DWP increased the maximum amount these payments can provide each week.
Increase in maximum AP payments
The maximum AP payment available to older state pensioners was increased by the Treasury and the DWP in April. From April 6, older state pensioners had their maximum possible AP payments increased from £222.10 per week to £230.54 per week. Over a year, that amounts to an extra £646.88.
This 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. In total, an older basic state pensioner could be paid £415.44 per week just from the DWP for their state pension, an amount higher than that of new state pensioners, who only get £241.30 per week if they have a maxed out National Insurance record.
Eligibility and payment details
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).”
