The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set to pay new state pensioners an unexpected £921 this Thursday, April 2, due to an advance in scheduled benefit payments to accommodate the Easter holiday. This payment reflects a 4.8% increase in the full flat rate for those who reached state pension age from April 2016 onwards, rising from £230.25 to £241.30 per week.
This increase translates to an additional £575 annually, bringing the total yearly state pension to £12,548. Monthly, the payment amounts to approximately £965. However, for the 2025/26 payment year, the rate remains at £230.25 per week, equating to £921 per month.
Because Easter falls on Sunday, April 5, 2025, the DWP will move payments usually made on Good Friday or the following bank holiday Monday to Thursday, April 2. Additionally, all Jobcentre Plus offices and phone lines will be closed on Friday, April 3, and Monday, April 6, reopening on Tuesday, April 7.
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Typically, the basic State Pension is paid every four weeks directly into the pensioner’s chosen bank account. Anyone wishing to change their payment account should notify the Pension Service.
Payment dates depend on an individual’s National Insurance number. Those who have delayed claiming their State Pension can choose when their payments begin, with their first payment issued at the end of the first full week after their chosen start date.
It’s important to note that pensioners may need to repay any overpayments resulting from not promptly reporting changes in circumstances, providing incorrect information, or administrative errors.
Claims for the delayed State Pension can be made by calling the State Pension claim line or by completing and mailing the basic State Pension claim form. The DWP also allows claims to be made from abroad, including from the Channel Islands.
Furthermore, those required to claim the new State Pension include men born on or after April 6, 1951, and women born on or after April 6, 1953.