The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has increased Additional Pension (AP) payments for basic state pensioners, resulting in an extra £8.44 per week. This uplift raises the weekly payment from £222.10 to £230.54, amounting to an additional £439 annually.
The Additional State Pension, also known as the second state pension or the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS), served as a top-up to the basic state pension. Although new claims for additional state pension are no longer possible, individuals who reached state pension age before April 2016 will continue to receive their entitled basic and additional state pension amounts.
For those reaching state pension age after April 2016, the new State Pension system applies, providing a single consolidated payment. However, any additional state pension built up under the previous scheme will still be accounted for in their total pension amount.
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According to Which?, the amount of additional state pension varies based on factors such as the number of years National Insurance contributions were made, earnings history, and whether the individual contracted out of the scheme. In the 2026-27 tax year, the maximum additional state pension payable is £230.54 per week, excluding any state pension top-up.
Under the older system, the maximum basic State Pension stands at £184.90 weekly, though individual payments may differ depending on personal circumstances.
The total State Pension amount depends primarily on birth date and the number of qualifying National Insurance years. Pensioners can check their qualifying years and entitlement using a forecast available on the DWP website, which requires a Government Gateway account for access.