DWP Triple Lock delay means pensioners won't receive state pension increase in April

State pensioners may face a delay in receiving their Triple Lock increases in April and might have to wait until May. This is despite the Triple Lock hike coming into effect with a £470 uplift from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Millions of Brits are eagerly awaiting next year's DWP increases, but they may not arrive as soon as expected. The reason being that the Department for Work and Pensions pays most benefits, including state pension, in arrears.

The new state pension, set to rise by around £475 per annum, is usually paid about four weeks in arrears meaning pensioners likely won't see the extra £9 a week in their account until May. The State Pension increases in April each year, based on a system known as the triple lock.

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This means the increase will match the highest of these three percentages: how much general living costs have risen by (inflation), based on the previous September's Consumer Price Index (CPI) OR the average wage increase from May to July of the previous year, or 2.5%. For instance, in 2024, the CPI rate was 1.7% and the average wage increase was 4.1%.

This means the State Pension will increase by 4.1% in April 2025. This takes the maximum from £221.20 to £230.25 per week, reports Birmingham Live.

If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, the full amount of basic State Pension will increase to £176.45, up from £169.50.

The triple lock applies to most State Pension payments, but there are two exceptions that rise in line with CPI instead. These exceptions include the Additional State Pension – a part of the old State Pension that you might receive if you reached pension age before 6 April 2016, and any extra amount if you chose to delay taking your State Pension – known as deferring.