The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed State Pension payments of up to £965.20 for pensioners in October, based on a two-digit code. The full new State Pension is currently worth £241.30 per week in the 2026 to 2027 tax year, following a 4.8% uplift in April in line with the triple lock. As it is paid every four weeks, pensioners entitled to the full amount can receive up to £965.20 in each four-week payment period.
Payment amounts and eligibility
The old basic State Pension also increased by 4.8% in April, rising to £184.90 per week, giving those eligible for the full amount £739.60 every four weeks. These amounts assume a full National Insurance record, so pensioners with fewer qualifying years will receive less per payment period.
The new rates came into effect on April 6, and pensioners will continue to receive these amounts in October and every month that follows until next April. The State Pension is typically paid every four weeks, and when you first claim it, you choose the date you want to receive your payment.
How the two-digit code determines payment day
Pensioners can determine when they can expect their State Pension to be paid by checking the two-digit code at the end of their National Insurance number, as this specifies the date payments are normally issued. The DWP has confirmed that these two-digit codes correspond to the following payment days:
- 00 to 19 - paid on Monday
- 20 to 39 - paid on Tuesday
- 40 to 59 - paid on Wednesday
- 60 to 79 - paid on Thursday
- 80 to 99 - paid on Friday
If your National Insurance number ends in 19, for example, you can expect to get your State Pension payment on a Monday in October, usually four weeks after your last payment in September.
DWP statement and October payment schedule
The DWP said: “You’ll be asked when you want to start getting your State Pension when you claim. Your first payment will be no later than 5 weeks after the date you choose. You’ll get a full payment every 4 weeks after that.”
“You might get part of a payment before your first full payment. The letter confirming your State Pension payment will tell you what to expect. The day your pension is paid depends on your National Insurance number. You might be paid earlier if your normal payment day is a bank holiday.”
State Pension payments can sometimes be disrupted from month to month due to bank holidays, meaning pensioners have to make their cash last a little longer before their next payment arrives. This was the case in August due to the late summer Bank Holiday, which meant some pensioners received their payment three days earlier than normal. But as there are no bank holidays in October, payments will go out as usual.
Under the 2026 to 2027 State Pension rates, the full new State Pension is worth a maximum of £12,547.60 per year, while the full basic State Pension is worth £9,614.80. The DWP said earlier this year that the Government’s commitment to the triple lock means pensioners’ incomes will rise by up to £2,100 over this Parliament, and April's 4.8% uprating will help millions across the UK facing cost-of-living pressures.
Triple lock and future rate changes
The triple lock is a UK Government guarantee that the State Pension will go up every April by whichever is the highest out of three measures: the consumer price index (CPI) measure of inflation (measured for September the year before), average wage growth between May and July of the previous year, or 2.5%. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has previously suggested he will stick to the 2024 Labour manifesto and protect the triple lock, so if he follows through on this pledge, new State Pension and basic State Pension claimants can expect a payment rise of at least 2.5% in the next tax year, as this is the minimum floor for increases.
Unless a radical change to State Pension rules is announced, Chancellor John Healey will confirm how much rates will rise under the triple lock in the Budget on October 28. Announcing the Budget date in a video message last month, Mr Healey said: “I’m confirming the date of my first Budget as Chancellor will be Wednesday, October 28. This will be a Budget that moves money and power out of Westminster, and into every postcode around Britain.”
