Millions of state pensioners will receive their next payment on Friday, May 9, if they have a very specific two-digit code – and some are set to receive more money
UK state pensioners are set to receive a £230 payment from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) on Friday if they have a two-digit code.
The State Pension rates increase at the start of every new tax year on April 6, with the rise determined by the highest of three factors, known as the ‘triple lock’.
These include the consumer price index (CPI) measure of inflation (measured for September in the previous year), average wage growth between May and July of the previous year, or 2.5%. Whichever is the highest out of these three determines the State Pension rates for the new tax year.
In the current 2025/26 tax year, both the basic and new State Pensions have been uprated by 4.1% in line with the annual increase in the average weekly earnings index for May to July 2024. As the UK’s State Pension system is split into two schemes – basic and new – your State Pension payment amount depends on when you retired.
For those who get the new State Pension, the full weekly payment rate is now £230.25 per week, while the full rate for the basic State Pension is now £176.45. The DWP says this will provide those on the new State Pension with an extra £470 per year (if you get the full rate), and an extra £360 annually for basic State Pension claimants (again, if you get the full rate).
State pensioners are set to see a bit more money in their pockets each month, with some eligible to receive their next payment, which could be up to £230, on Friday, provided they have the right two-digit code, reports the Express.
The State Pension is paid out every four weeks, and the beneficiaries select their payment date upon claiming it. The typical payment day can be ascertained by checking the two-digit code at the end of one’s National Insurance number, which indicates the prescribed payment dates.
Consequently, if the last two digits of your National Insurance number are from 80 to 99, you usually receive payments on a Friday. Therefore, if your regular payment falls early in the month and your National Insurance number concludes with digits between 80 and 99, your next instalment should arrive on Friday, May 9.
The DWP delineates: “You’ll be asked when you want to start getting your State Pension when you claim. Your first payment will be no later than 5 weeks after the date you choose. You’ll get a full payment every 4 weeks after that.
“You might get part of a payment before your first full payment. The letter confirming your State Pension payment will tell you what to expect.
“The day your pension is paid depends on your National Insurance number. You might be paid earlier if your normal payment day is a bank holiday.”
