The Department for Work and Pensions has explained when people can get a big boost to their state pension. Anyone over the age of 80 can, under certain circumstances, get an increase to their pension.
In a new parliamentary question MP Gregory Campbell from the DUP asked the DWP about how many people aged 80 and over are eligible for the additional £260 per year pension. Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions) Torsten Bell replied that at the quarter ending May 2024, there were 87,299 people in total claiming a Category D pension, those in the UK and overseas.
He explained:” This is a non-contributory State Pension that is paid to those aged over 80 who have no State Pension or who receive an amount that is less than the Category D rate of £101.55 a week (£105.70 after April 2025). There are also residency conditions that must be met in order to be eligible.”
Mr Campbell then asked: “What steps is his Department is taking to advise people that they may be eligible for the additional pension payments?” Mr Bell replied: “Those who are ordinarily resident in Great Britain on their 80th birthday and who meet the required residency conditions will receive the increase automatically without having to make a claim if their basic State Pension is less than £101.55 a week (£105.70 from April 2025). Those who are getting no State Pension at age 80 or who get Graduated Retirement Benefit only, will need to make a claim.
“The Category D over 80 pension is not part of the new State Pension, but it continues to be available for people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. Information about the over 80 pension is available on Gov.uk.”
This means that anyone who turns 80 – which means they were born before January 23, 1965, could be eligible for the upgrade. The DWP says on the Gov website that: “The over 80 pension is a State Pension for people aged 80 or over. To be eligible you must get either a basic State Pension of less than £101.55 a week, or no basic State Pension at all. It can give you £101.55 a week in the 2024 to 2025 tax year.”
The DWP says that 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 £101.55 a week, you could get the difference paid up to this amount.
“For example, you’re 80 years old and you get £43 a week basic State Pension, your basic State Pension may be topped up by £58.55 to £101.55 a week.”
People cannot get the over 80 pension if you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016.
The over 80 pension can be claimed if all of the following apply:
- you’re 80 or over
- you do not get basic State Pension or your basic State Pension is less than £101.55 a week in 2024 to 2025
- you were resident in the UK for at least 10 years out of 20 (this does not have to be 10 years in a row) – this 20 year period must include the day before you turned 80 or any day after
- you were ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar on your 80th birthday or the date you made the claim for this pension, if later
Eligibility for the over 80 pension is not based on National Insurance contributions.
How to claim
You can get a claim form from either your local Jobcentre Plus or the Pension Service.
The earliest you can claim is 3 months before your 80th birthday.
Get a claim form from the Pension Service
Call the Pension Service to get a claim form sent to you.
Telephone: 0800 731 7898
Textphone: 0800 731 7339
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 731 7898
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer – find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Welsh language: 0800 731 7936
Welsh language textphone: 0800 731 7013
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm (except public holidays)
Find out about call charges
To find out more about claiming it visit the .gov website here.