Jersey full Old Age Pension rises 4.7% to £16,294 a year

Jersey’s full Old Age Pension rises by 4.7% from the beginning of October 2026, taking it to £312.48 a week, or £16,294 a year. The Government of Jersey says that is an increase of just over £14 a week and £734 a year for someone receiving the full rate. Pensioners who also receive Income Support may see that payment fall, although the government says their overall income will rise.

The government announced the increase on 25 September. The new figures describe the full pension; they do not establish what someone with a partial entitlement receives or how much any individual’s total income changes. The distinction matters particularly for households whose pension is counted when Income Support is calculated.

How Jersey’s October pension increase is calculated

The Government of Jersey says it uprates the Old Age Pension every October by at least the recorded increase in the pensioner Retail Prices Index for June. The 4.7% rise in the pension follows a 4.7% annual increase in that measure in June 2026, according to Statistics Jersey. The measure tracks prices across a basket of goods and services; it does not describe every pensioner’s personal costs.

Statistics Jersey reported that the all-items Retail Prices Index rose 2.8% over the same year, below the pensioner measure. Its report identified household services, fuel and light, motoring, and food as notable upward contributors to all-items inflation. Food prices rose 3.5% and contributed 0.4 percentage points to that index’s annual rise.

Social Security Minister Senator Elaine Millar said the higher pension would put more than £14 a week, or over £700 a year, into the pocket of someone receiving the full rate. She also acknowledged that pensioners on lower incomes can face particular pressure from healthcare and heating costs.

What happens when a pensioner also receives Income Support

Old Age Pension and Income Support are paid in advance. In its September announcement, the Government of Jersey said payments would be adjusted before the new pension rate took effect in October. It warned that an Income Support payment could reduce when a recipient’s pension rises because the pension counts as income in the support calculation.

In a written answer to the States Assembly on 14 September, Millar explained how that calculation works: 26% of pension income is excluded. Under the example she gave, an extra £10 of pension reduces an Income Support top-up by £7.40, leaving the household £2.60 better off. She said pensioner households receiving both payments would see an overall income increase, even where their Income Support payment fell.

The example explains why a person receiving both payments should not assume that the full £14-plus weekly pension rise will be added to their total income. The retained figures do not show how many households receive both payments or provide an individual payment calculation. The government says Income Support rates will also increase in January.

Other support listed for lower-income pensioners

The Government of Jersey says lower-income pensioners may qualify for Pension Plus, which helps with dental, optical and chiropody costs. People receiving Pension Plus automatically qualify for the Health Access Scheme. The government lists adult charges of £10 for a GP surgery or telephone consultation and £7 for a nurse consultation under that scheme.

Pensioner households that do not pay tax may also receive the Cold Weather Bonus, according to the government. It is paid in two instalments, with the amount varying according to winter temperatures. The government also lists a one-off Christmas payment and free TV licences for pensioners aged 75 and over among the available support.

Millar encouraged anyone who thinks they may be eligible for extra help to check what support is available. The government’s announcement sets out the new full pension rate and the named support schemes, but it does not give a payment figure for every pensioner or a household-by-household estimate of the increase after Income Support is recalculated.

The BBC reported that Millar had identified mandatory workplace pensions alongside the government pension as a priority in September. That is a separate policy aim from the October increase. For pensioners assessing the change now, the confirmed figures are the new £312.48 weekly full rate and the government’s explanation of how a higher pension interacts with Income Support.