The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provides a special pension for state pensioners aged 80 or over, known as the Over 80 Pension. This is a State Pension for people aged 80 or above, offering up to £110.75 a week in the 2026 to 2027 tax year.
Eligibility Criteria for the Over 80 Pension
To be eligible, you must receive either a basic State Pension of less than £110.75 a week, or no basic State Pension at all. The amount you receive depends on how much basic State Pension you already get. If you do not get the basic State Pension or receive less than £110.75 a week, you could get the difference paid up to this amount.
For example, if you are 80 years old and receive £45 a week basic State Pension, your basic State Pension may be topped up by £66.75 to reach £110.75 a week.
Conditions and Claim Process
The DWP states that you cannot get the Over 80 Pension if you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016. You can claim the Over 80 Pension if all of the following apply:
- You are 80 or over.
- You do not get basic State Pension or your basic State Pension is less than £110.75 a week in 2026 to 2027.
- 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.
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. You can also call the Pension Service to have a claim form sent to you.
Impact on Other Benefits
The Over 80 Pension counts as taxable income, so it may affect other benefits you are receiving. You must include the Over 80 Pension as income if you are claiming other income-related benefits. You must also tell the Pension Service if your circumstances change, for example, if you change address or bank details.
