DWP confirms £21.88 cash boost for state pensioners over 80 in June

Older state pensioners aged 80 or over can get a monthly cash boost of up to £21.88 in June from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) thanks to a 4.8% boost which took effect in April.

April 6 marked the start of the 2026/27 tax year and ushered in a swathe of increases to benefits and pensions, with claimants continuing to reap the benefits of these in June and every month that follows until next April. The State Pension was among the benefits to get an uplift, rising by 4.8% in line with the triple lock. But the uplift also applied to the Category D State Pension which is paid to people aged 80 or over.

The 4.8% April uplift took the Category D weekly rate from £105.70 up to £110.75 per week for the 2026/27 tax year - an increase of £5.05 per week. Across the full tax year, this amounts to an annual increase of £262.20 for over 80 pension claimants, which averages £21.88 per month when averaged out across a 12 month period.

Older pensioners are eligible to claim the Category D pension if they get a basic State Pension of less than £110.75 per week, or have no basic State Pension at all.

It is not a separate weekly payment, but rather a top-up to your existing basic State Pension, which is usually paid every four weeks.

As such, older pensioners who are entitled to claim it can top up their weekly payments up to £110.75 per week under the new rates, giving their pension pot a welcome boost.

If you’re eligible to claim the over 80 pension, the amount you’ll get from the DWP per week depends on how much basic State Pension you get (if any), but if it’s less than £110.75, you can get the difference paid up to this amount.

The DWP said: “What you get depends on how much basic State Pension you get, if any. If you do not get the basic State Pension or you get less than £110.75 a week, you could get the difference paid up to this amount.

“For example, you’re 80 years old and you get £45 a week basic State Pension, your basic State Pension may be topped up by £66.75 to £110.75 a week.”

The over-80 pension is only available to people aged 80 or over, and you can’t claim it if you reached State Pension age on or after April 6, 2016.

To be eligible, you must have been a UK resident for at least 10 years out of a 20 year period, which must include the day before you turned 80 or any day after, or you were ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar on your 80th birthday, or the date you submitted your claim for the over 80 pension. The earliest you can claim is three months before your 80th birthday.

You cannot get the over 80 pension if you reached State Pension age on or after April 6, 2016.

Unlike the basic and new State Pension schemes, your eligibility for the over 80 pension isn’t based on National Insurance contributions.

Claimants should also note that the over 80 pension counts as taxable income, so if you’re claiming any other benefits these could be affected.

You can claim the pension top-up by requesting a form from your local Jobcentre Plus, or by calling the Pension Service on 0800 731 7898. The earliest you can submit a claim is up to three months before your 80th birthday, or any time after.