£169.50 Weekly UK State Pension Set for August 2025 – Check Payment Date and Eligibility Criteria

Published On: July 31, 2025

From August 2025, pensioners across the UK will see the basic State Pension rise to £169.50 per week. This update is designed to help older citizens cope with the increasing cost of living. While the new amount is welcome, not everyone will receive the full rate automatically. It depends on your National Insurance (NI) record, age, and past work history.

Let’s break down exactly who qualifies, how you can check your entitlement, and what steps to take if you want to increase your future payments.

Overview

Feature	Details
New Basic State Pension	£169.50 per week from August 2025
Eligibility	Men born before 6 April 1951, women before 6 April 1953
Qualifying Years Needed	30 years of NI contributions
Partial Pension	Available with fewer than 30 qualifying years
Additional Pension	Earned through SERPS or S2P
Pension Deferral Option	1% increase for every 5 weeks deferred
Official Info	GOV.UK – State Pension section

Who Is Eligible?

To receive the basic State Pension at the full rate of £169.50 per week, you must meet these two key criteria:

1. Age and Date of Birth

This version of the pension applies to:

Men born before 6 April 1951
Women born before 6 April 1953

If you were born after these dates, you’ll fall under the new State Pension system introduced in April 2016, which has different rules.

2. National Insurance Contributions

You typically need 30 qualifying years of National Insurance payments to receive the full pension. These years can be built from:

Regular employment
Self-employment
Credited periods (for example, claiming benefits or caring for someone)

If you have fewer than 30 years, you’ll receive a proportion of the full amount. You may be able to pay voluntary NI contributions to close any gaps.

Check Your State Pension

Before assuming you’ll receive the full rate, it’s a good idea to review your pension forecast. You can do this in several ways:

Use the State Pension Forecast tool on GOV.UK
Contact the Pension Service by phone or post
Request a National Insurance statement to see your contribution history

This step helps avoid surprises and lets you plan ahead if you’re not on track for a full pension.

Additional State Pension

If you worked before 2016, you may have built up extra pension income through:

SERPS (State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme)

This was mainly for higher earners and provided a pension boost based on your salary.

S2P (State Second Pension)

This replaced SERPS and was geared toward middle and lower earners. It also gave credit to those with caring responsibilities.

If you paid into either scheme, your pension amount could be higher than the standard £169.50.

Should You Defer Your Pension?

Choosing to delay your pension can increase your weekly amount. For every 5 weeks you defer, your pension grows by 1%, or about 10.4% per year.

Deferring may be a smart move if:

You’re still working past pension age
You have other income to rely on temporarily
You prefer a higher pension later in retirement

It’s entirely optional, but can be financially beneficial for some.

How to Apply for the State Pension

About four months before reaching State Pension age, you’ll get a letter inviting you to claim.

Choose How to Apply

You can apply:

Online through the GOV.UK portal
By phone by calling the State Pension claim line
By post using a paper application form

Gather Your Documents

To make your claim, you’ll need:

Your National Insurance number
Your bank or building society details
Info about any additional pensions or deferrals

Applying early helps avoid delays, so it’s best to act once your invitation arrives.

The increase to £169.50 per week is a positive step for pensioners across the UK. But to make sure you receive what you’re entitled to, check your NI contributions, consider topping them up if needed, and think carefully about deferral if it fits your situation. The earlier you take control, the better your retirement outcome can be.