State Pension: UK pensioners set to see £241 weekly from April 2026 after 4.8% increase - what is new amount?
Pensioners could see their weekly payments rise next April, but some may face tax 💷
- UK pensioners are set for a likely 4.8% state pension rise from April 2026
- Full new state pension could reach £241.30 per week; basic pension around £184.90
- Increase comes under the triple lock, which raises pensions based on wages, inflation, or 2.5%
- Some retirees may face income tax if the rise pushes them above the personal allowance
- Public confidence in the pension’s long-term future remains low, despite the government guarantee
Pensioners across the UK are set to see a boost to their state pension from April 2026, with a likely 4.8% increase, offering a welcome rise above current inflation levels.
The planned increase comes under the government’s “triple lock” guarantee, which ensures the state pension rises each April by whichever is highest: annual wage growth, inflation, or a minimum of 2.5%.
Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show September’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation remained steady at 3.8%.
But total earnings growth, including bonuses, for the quarter to July stood at 4.8%, the figure expected to determine next year’s increase.
How much will the state pension be in April 2026?
If confirmed, the rise would see those receiving the full new state pension getting £241.30 per week, equivalent to around £12,548 per year. For those on the full basic state pension, weekly payments could increase to £184.90.
It’s important to note that many pensioners receive less than the full state pension, as individual payments depend on National Insurance contributions.
Alice Haine, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest by Evelyn Partners, says the rise is a bright spot for retirees.
“For pensioners, the latest inflation data suggests another inflation-beating boost to the annual state pension payment is coming their way next April,” she said.
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Will pensions be taxed?
But there’s a caveat. The anticipated uplift may push some pensioners closer to the threshold for income tax.
Haine explains: “The personal allowance has stayed at £12,570 since the 2020-21 tax year, so unless the Chancellor adjusts this in the next Budget, more retirees could face a tax bill.
“Some may already be paying tax because of private pensions or deferred state pension income.”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces a tough decision: unfreezing the personal allowance would help older voters but cost the Treasury billions, while tinkering with the triple lock risks a major political backlash before the next election.
What is the triple lock?
Public confidence in the state pension remains mixed. A 2025 survey by Standard Life, conducted with Ipsos and involving 6,000 adults, found only 29% of respondents believe the triple lock will still be in place when they retire.
The triple lock was introduced by the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government in 2010, under Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
It is a government guarantee that determines how much the state pension rises each year. It ensures that the state pension increases every April by whichever of the following three figures is highest:
- Average earnings growth (based on wages in the year from May to July)
- Inflation (as measured by the Consumer Prices Index in September)
- 2.5% (a minimum increase, even if wages and prices are lower)
So, for example, if wages rise by 4.8%, inflation is 3.8%, and the 2.5% floor is the lowest, the pension would go up by 4.8%.
The triple lock has helped reduce pensioner poverty, and remains hugely popular with older voters, so governments are reluctant to touch it. Indeed, the current government has promised to keep it until at least the end of this Parliament (expected 2029).
But the state pension already costs over £110 billion a year, and with an ageing population, that figure is set to grow sharply, and the triple lock’s “whichever is highest” formula can trigger unexpectedly large increases; for example, the 10.1% rise in April 2023 following a surge in inflation.
Catherine Foot, director of the Standard Life Centre for the Future of Retirement, says uncertainty about financial futures is widespread.
“Many doubt whether the state pension will exist in its current form by the time they retire,” she says, “even though policymakers have given no indication that such a change is likely,,”
The Government’s annual review of the state pension and other benefits, required by law, will be announced in November.
For now, pensioners can at least plan on a likely increase that could ease living costs and provide a small buffer against inflation, while keeping an eye on potential tax implications.
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