Overview
- From April 2026, the basic and new State Pension will rise by 4.8% under the Triple Lock, taking the full new rate to about £241.30 a week and the full basic rate to about £184.90, worth up to £575 more a year for some.
- The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will also increase by 4.8% to roughly £238 a week for single claimants and £363.25 for couples, alongside expanded Warm Home Discount support and an average £150 cut to energy bills as the ECO levy ends.
- A Just Group report says 74% of eligible pensioner homeowners are not claiming benefits such as Pension Credit or Council Tax Reduction, missing an average £1,339 a year, with a further 14% underpaid by about £1,162.
- Official DWP figures previously indicated up to 910,000 families entitled to Pension Credit did not claim in 2023/24, leaving an estimated £2.5 billion unclaimed.
- Campaigners note around 453,000 expatriate pensioners in countries without uprating agreements will not get the April rise, and some legacy elements such as SERPS and deferred‑pension increments do not receive Triple Lock increases; separate rules may allow those over 80 with low basic pension to claim up to £105.70 a week.