The rising cost of living and social care makes it tough to exist on just the State Pension. Fortunately, there are stacks of top UK dividend shares that can provide a healthy passive income to help make ends meet.
United Utilities, BAE Systems, Supermarket Income REIT, Aviva, and F&C Investment Trust (LSE:FCIT) are just five rock-solid dividend shares I like. I believe they could deliver a large and reliable dividend income for years to come.
Want to know why?
Flowing dividends
United Utilities has raised annual dividends for 14 straight years. For this financial year, its dividend yield is a healthy 4.5%.
The water supplier’s defensive operations and reliable cash flows have underpinned this proud dividend record. And with interest rates falling, the outlook is improving as its large borrowing costs fall.
There are regulatory risks, and especially following recent scandals around sewage dumping. Yet in my view it’s still a more dependable dividend stock than most other UK shares.
Another FTSE hero
The stable nature of defence spending’s driven BAE Systems’ annual dividends higher for 21 consecutive years. With Western countries rapidly rearming, I think we could be entering a new era of robust payout growth.
Industry supply chains remain a problem for the aerospace sector. Competition is also fierce. But the earnings and dividend picture remains robust in my view, underpinned by the FTSE 100 company’s relationships with the UK which is leading the defence boom.
The dividend yield on BAE shares is 2.3% for 2026.
Market leader
Supermarket Income REIT must — under real estate investment trust rules — pay at least 90% of annual rental profits out in dividends. This can make passive income more stable than with many other UK shares.
There are other supportive levers, like the trust’s focus on the ultra-defensive food retail market, and its blue-chip tenant base which includes Tesco and Sainsbury‘s. This greatly reduces threats like rent defaults and vacant properties.
Supermarket Income has raised dividends for seven straight years. Its forward dividend yield is 7.6%.
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Bouncing back
Balance sheet rebuilding in the 2010s has resurrected Aviva as a top dividend stock. Shareholder payouts have risen sharply in recent years, and for 2026 its dividend yield’s an impressive 6%.
While it’s sensitive to economic conditions, the FTSE company’s huge general insurance operation helps to offset weakness elsewhere. And considering its deep cash reserves, I don’t expect dividends to stop skipping higher — its Solvency II capital ratio is 177%.
I expect Aviva’s dividends to keep rising, as demographic changes drive demand for financial services.
Top trust
The F&C Investment Trust has one of the best dividend records of any London-listed stock. Annual dividends here have risen every year since 1970.
That incredible performance reflects the quality of the trust’s management and its diversified approach. Today, its £6.7bn portfolio is invested in 363 separate global shares. These span a wide range of regions and sectors, which better protect investors from concentrated shocks that can impact dividends.
What’s more, with exposure to both economically sensitive and defensive sectors, it provides stability alongside potential for payout growth.
A focus on shares leaves F&C vulnerable to stock market vulnerability. But its dividend record still makes it worth considering to supplement the State Pension. The forward dividend yield here is 1.4%.
