With the DWP State Pension increases, to a rise in Attendance Allowance and Pension Credit, here’s what the 2026/27 uprating means in pounds and pence from April 2026.
For a pensioner on the full New State Pension plus higher-rate Attendance Allowance, weekly income could rise by over £15 combined, delivering roughly £780 extra a year before any Pension Credit adjustments.
The State Pension
At the heart of retirement income is the State Pension and in April 2026 it rises again.
New State Pension
2025/26: £230.25 per week
2026/27: £241.30 per week
Increase: £11.05 weekly (around £575 extra a year)
Basic (Old) State Pension
For those still receiving Additional Pension, the maximum (own and inherited) rises from £222.10 to £230.54 .
While the percentage uplift sits below last year’s surge, the cash gain remains significant — particularly for pensioners reliant on the full New State Pension.
Pension Credit
For lower-income pensioners, Pension Credit increases. It is also gateway benefit, which can help claimants to access other key benefits.
Standard Minimum Guarantee
Single: £227.10 → £238.00
Couple: £346.60 → £363.25
Severe Disability Addition
Single: £82.90 → £86.05
Couple (both qualify): £165.80 → £172.10
Carer Addition
Savings Credit
Threshold (single): £198.27 → £208.07
Maximum (single): £17.30 → £17.96
Attendance Allowance
For those needing help with personal care, Attendance Allowance rises as follows:
Higher rate: £110.40 → £114.60
Lower rate: £73.90 → £76.70
That equates to an annual increase of:
£218 extra (higher rate)
£145 extra (lower rate)
One in five councils in England and Wales display incorrect Carers’ Council Tax Discount information, our investigation reveals.
Martin Lewis warns not to trust councils’ online info, and recommends that unpaid carers who thought they weren’t eligible should check again.
— MoneySavingExpert (@MoneySavingExp) January 12, 2026
Disability and Ill-Health Payments
Though many working-age claimants now receive Personal Independence Payment, some pensioners remain on legacy benefits.
Disability Living Allowance (Care Component)
Highest: £110.40 → £114.60
Middle: £73.90 → £76.70
Lowest: £29.20 → £30.30
Personal Independence Payment (Daily Living)
Enhanced: £110.40 → £114.60
Standard: £73.90 → £76.70
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
Standard 100% rate:
Constant Attendance Allowance (exceptional rate)
For older claimants with industrial injuries or severe disability, these adjustments can add several hundred pounds annually.
Bereavement Support
Widowed Parent’s Allowance
However, Bereavement Support Payment lump sums remain frozen:
Standard lump sum: £2,500 (no change)
Higher lump sum: £3,500 (no change)
Carer’s Allowance
Many pension-age households include an unpaid carer.
Carer’s Allowance: £83.30 → £86.45
Earnings limit rises from £196 → £204 per week
Housing Benefit and Pension-Age Personal Allowances
For claimants over State Pension age:
Single/lone parent (State Pension age or over):
£244.40 → £256.00
Couple (State Pension age or over):
£366.00 → £383.35
Dependent child allowance:
Severe disability premium:
Single: £82.90 → £86.05
What hasn’t changed
Some limits remain frozen:
Benefit Cap: No change
Capital upper limit (means-tested benefits): £16,000
Capital disregard: £6,000
Pension Credit upper capital limit: No limit
Addition at age 80 (State Pension): 25p (unchanged)
Freezes in lump sums and capital limits quietly offset the headline weekly rises.
Here’s how we are helping you with the cost of living in 2026:
➡️ Freezing rail fares
➡️ Expanding free school meals
➡️ Providing 30 of hours free childcare
➡️ Increasing the National Living Wage
➡️ Introducing a £3 bus fare cap
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) January 7, 2026
What is the Triple Lock?
Much of this is boosted by the Triple Lock. It guarantees that the UK State Pension rises each year by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth, or 2.5%, ensuring pensions maintain or increase in real terms.
For example, in April 2026, the new State Pension is set to rise by 4.8%, reflecting the highest of these measures, increasing from £230.25 to £241.30 per week, while the full basic State Pension rises from £176.45 to £184.90 per week.
Recommended reading:
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) found recently that, due to inflation and earnings volatility, the triple lock has cost around three times more than initial expectations.
Uprating using the triple lock rather than earnings alone will have added £15.5 billion to the State Pension bill annually by the end of the decade (2029-30), the budget watchdog estimated.
According to the Treasury’s Budget, the Government’s “commitment to the triple lock for the duration of this Parliament” will “support the incomes of over 12 million pensioners”.