Pensioners born before April 1951 (men) or April 1953 (women) may be entitled to claim an Additional State Pension worth up to £222.10 per week, according to DWP guidance. The top-up is automatically applied to eligible individuals who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 — unless they were contracted out.
This Additional State Pension is not available to those on the newer post-2016 scheme, and eligibility depends on National Insurance contributions, employment history, and scheme participation.
Older Pensioners Could Be Entitled to More than Just the Basic State Pension
Pensioners receiving the basic State Pension — that is, those who reached pensionable age before 6 April 2016 — may be eligible for the Additional State Pension, according to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). This supplementary payment can amount to as much as £222.10 per week, depending on the individual’s National Insurance record and employment background.
The Additional State Pension is made up of three distinct schemes: the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS), State Second Pension (S2P), and a temporary top-up scheme that was open between 12 October 2015 and 5 April 2017. Eligibility hinges on whether an individual paid into one or more of these, and whether they were contracted out through their workplace pension — a practice common before 2016.
Men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953 who have claimed the basic State Pension should have their Additional State Pension calculated and added automatically, unless they opted out through a contracted-out employment scheme. In such cases, workers typically paid lower National Insurance contributions, but may have built up alternative pension rights via their employer.
Contracting Out, Inheritance Rights and Top-up Rules Explained
Contracting out was widespread in the UK from the late 1970s until April 2016, when it was abolished. During this period, employees in contracted-out workplace pension schemes paid reduced National Insurance contributions and did not accrue rights to the Additional State Pension. According to official guidance, however, most individuals who were contracted out received comparable or higher benefits through their private or occupational pensions.
A separate top-up scheme briefly ran between October 2015 and April 2017, allowing certain pensioners to pay voluntary contributions to increase their retirement income. This scheme was only available to those who had reached retirement pension age before 6 April 2016. The extra amount gained through this route is also considered part of the Additional State Pension.
Widows and widowers may, in some cases, inherit a portion of their late spouse’s Additional State Pension, with percentages varying based on date of death and birth. According to DWP rules, up to 100% of SERPS can be inherited if the spouse died before 6 October 2002, while more recent deaths see a sliding scale applied.
The Additional State Pension is a complex system, largely phased out for newer retirees but still affecting hundreds of thousands of older pensioners across the UK. Anyone unsure of their entitlement is advised to check with their pension provider or consult the Pension Tracing Service.
