State pensioners received a 4.8% boost to the DWP basic state pension payments earlier this year.
3 extra payments state pensioners could be entitled to
State pensioners are getting more money after new rates came into force earlier this year. The State Pension usually rises each April, with the amount currently protected by the triple lock. But exactly how much someone gets depends on their circumstances, including when they were born and their National Insurance record.
There are also two different State Pension systems in the UK, with older pensioners receiving the basic State Pension while people who reached State Pension age more recently fall under the new system. The latest increase means people receiving the full basic State Pension are now getting noticeably more than they were last year.
Someone receiving the full amount is getting an extra £34 every month (Image: Getty)
The full amount rose from £176.45 to £184.90 a week in April, an increase of £8.45.
That means someone receiving the full amount is getting an extra £34 every month. Over a full year, the increase is worth £439.40.
The basic State Pension applies to men born before April 6, 1951, and women born before April 6, 1953.
Anyone born on or after those dates comes under the new State Pension instead.
However, not everyone on the basic State Pension will receive the full £184.90 each week.
How much someone gets depends largely on their National Insurance record and the number of qualifying years they built up during their working life.
A qualifying year can come from working and paying National Insurance, receiving National Insurance credits or making voluntary contributions. Credits can be given in certain circumstances, including when someone was unemployed, sick or looking after children or another person.
The number of years needed for the full amount also varies.
Men born between 1945 and 1951 usually need 30 qualifying years for the full basic State Pension, while those born before 1945 generally need 44.
Women born between 1950 and 1953 usually need 30 years, while women born before 1950 generally need 39.
People with fewer qualifying years may still receive a State Pension, but the amount they get could be lower.
Those who fall under the newer system have also received an increase this year. The full new State Pension rose from £230.25 a week to £241.30 from April 2026.
More information can be found here.