You could be eligible for some additional cash to pay for daily living costs.
Pensioners with a certain income level could be in line for up to £106 a week from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to help with everyday expenses. The DWP’s latest figures show that the State Pension currently provides a steady financial income for 13 million older individuals across the UK.
Eligibility for this payment requires reaching the Government’s retirement age of 66 for both men and women, as well as having contributed to National Insurance (NI) for a minimum of 10 years. However, as highlighted by the Daily Record, those over 80 who either have no Basic State Pension or receive less than £105.70 per week could be entitled to extra funds to aid with daily living costs.
The “over 80 pension” offers £105.70 weekly to seniors not receiving any Basic State Pension, or it supplements their existing pension up to this amount. Additionally, low-income individuals over 80 may be eligible for Pension Credit, potentially gaining over £4,300 in additional financial support throughout the 2025/26 fiscal year.
Claiming the over 80 pension
To claim the over 80 pension, it’s important to understand that eligibility ceases if you reached State Pension age on or after April 6 2016; instead, you would be eligible for the New State Pension.
The guidance on GOV.UK indicates that you can claim the over 80 pension if all of the following conditions are met:
- You are 80 or over
- You do not get Basic State Pension or your Basic State Pension is less than £105.70 a week
- 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.
Also, on your 80th birthday or when you claimed the pension, you needed to be “ordinarily resident” in the UK, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar. For UK nationals residing in or moving to an EEA country or Switzerland, consult the GOV.UK website for detailed pension info.
Your eligibility for the over 80 pension is not based on National Insurance contributions. To make a claim, you can get a form from either your local Jobcentre Plus or the Pension Service.
The earliest you can claim is three months before your 80th birthday. You can request a claim form from the Pension Service by ringing 0800 731 7898.
Pension Credit
This tax-free benefit ensures single pensioners receive a minimum of £227.10 per week and couples get £346.60. You must have reached the Pension Credit qualifying age, equivalent to the State Pension age, and live in Great Britain to qualify.
The fastest way to check if you can claim Pension Credit is online. Elderly individuals, or their friends and family, can quickly check their eligibility and get an estimate of what they may receive by using the online Pension Credit calculator on GOV.UK.
Alternatively, pensioners can directly ring the Pension Credit helpline to make a claim on 0800 99 1234 – lines are open from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.