Retirees aged over 80 who get a basic State Pension of less than £105.70 per week, or no basic State Pension at all, can claim an ‘over 80 pension’
State pensioners who hit milestone age can get extra £422 a month
Older pensioners may be able to claim an extra £422.80 a month from the Department for Work and Pensions, it has emerged. Retirees aged over 80 who get a basic State Pension of less than £105.70 per week, or no basic State Pension at all, can claim an ‘over 80 pension’ from the DWP.
Men before April 1951 and women born before April 1953 get the basic state pension. But not everyone gets the full amount, usually due to gaps in their National Insurance qualifying years.
People usually need 30 qualifying years in order to get the full rate. Older pensioners who get less than £176.45 a week, or receive nothing at all, may be able to claim the over-80 pension and give their finances a much-needed boost.
READ MORE Households in Birmingham handed £0 council tax bills in February
The over-80 pension is a top-up to your existing basic State Pension which is usually paid every four weeks.
It means pensioners can get up to £422.80 extra per month to help with everyday costs.
The amount you’ll get depends on how much basic state pension you get, if any.
The DWP said: “An 80‑year‑old who gets £43 per week basic State Pension would get an extra £62.70 to top up their weekly amount to £105.70.”
This support is not available to younger pensioners. The DWP added: “To be eligible, you must get either a basic State Pension of less than £105.70 a week, or no basic State Pension at all.
“If you do not get the basic State Pension or you get less than £105.70 a week, you could get the difference paid up to this amount.”
People cannot receive the over‑80 pension if they reached state pension age on or after April 6, 2016.
The DWP said: “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 £105.70 a week, or no basic state pension at all.”