State Pension payment dates October 2026: your payday

State Pension is usually paid every four weeks, on a day set by the last two digits of a National Insurance number, according to GOV.UK.

None of the payment dates in October 2026 falls on a UK bank holiday, so no October date moves.

The same National Insurance ranges and payment days apply to both the new State Pension and the older basic State Pension, GOV.UK’s separate guides for each show.

What happens if a payday falls on a bank holiday?

A payment might be paid earlier if the normal day falls on a bank holiday.

There is no bank holiday in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland in October 2026, the official bank holidays list shows, so the dates above are not affected.

When is the first payment made?

A first State Pension payment is made no later than five weeks after the date a claimant chooses to start their pension, with a full payment every four weeks after that.

A part payment may come before the first full payment, and the letter confirming State Pension payment explains what to expect.

A request to change the receiving account goes through the Pension Service, or the Northern Ireland Pension Centre for claims in Northern Ireland.

Correction, 21 September 2026: An earlier version of this page listed England, Scotland and Northern Ireland when describing bank holidays; the official list covers England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.