Payment schedule
How much lands each 4-weekly payment (2026/27)
State Pension is quoted as a weekly figure but paid every 4 weeks, so the amount that actually lands in your account is the weekly rate times four. On the full new State Pension of £241.30 a week that is £965.20 per payment; on the full basic State Pension of £184.90 a week it is £739.601. Your own payment is lower if your NI record does not qualify you for the full rate, so check your figure on the forecast calculator first.
Day-of-week rules (last 2 digits of NI number)
First payment after claiming
The first payment usually arrives up to 5 weeks after the date you reach SPA, and includes the time from SPA to the first scheduled pay day. After that, the 4-weekly cycle settles2.
Bank holidays
If your pay date falls on a bank holiday, payment is made on the previous working day3. This affects the late December / early January period most often.