State Pension
The UK State Pension is paid to entitled people who claim it having reached State Pension age. It is based on National Insurance (NI) contributions and it is made up of different elements. More information on NI contributions is available on HM Revenue & Customs' website.
State Pension age
The State Pension age is currently 65 for men and 60 for women. However, the State Pension age for women will increase gradually from 2010, so that by 2020 it will be 65.
The increase in the State Pension age will not affect women born on or before 5 April 1950. Women born between 6 April 1950 and 5 April 1955 (inclusive) will have a State Pension age between 60 and 65. Women born on or after 6 April 1955 and before 6 April 1959 will have a State Pension age of 65.
The state pension age for both men and women is to increase from 65 to 68 between 2024 and 2046, with each change phased in over two consecutive years in each decade. The first increase, from 65 to 66, will be phased in between April 2024 and April 2026; the second, from 66 to 67, will be phased in between April 2034 and April 2036; and the third, from 67 to 68, between April 2044 and April 2046.
The State Pension age calculator on the Pension Service website will tell you the date you will reach State Pension age. The Pensions Service is part of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
Can I get it?
Have you:
- Reached State Pension age?
- Have you, your husband, wife or civil partner paid or been credited with NI contributions?
If you answered YES to both, you may be entitled to a State Pension.
State Pension is made up of the following:
Basic State Pension
Entitlement to the basic State Pension is dependent on the number of qualifying years you have earned over your working life. Qualifying years are based on the NI contributions you have paid, been treated as having paid or been credited with during your working life.
Working life
Your working life is the period over which you have to have met the contribution conditions for the basic State Pension. It is normally:
- 49 years for men
- 44 years for women born on or before 5 October 1950
- 45 years for women born on 6 October 1950 or on any day through to and including 5 October 1951
- 46 years for women born on 6 October 1951 or on any day through to and including 5 October 1952
- 47 years for women born on 6 October 1952 or on any day through to and including 5 October 1953
- 48 years for women born on 6 October 1953 or on any day through to and including 5 October 1954
- 49 years for women born on 6 October 1954 or later
Your working life is counted from the start of the tax year in which you reach the age of 16 to the end of the tax year before the one in which you reach State Pension age.
Additional State Pension
Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be entitled to additional State Pension. This is also called the State Second Pension and was formerly known as the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme or (SERPS). As its name suggests, additional State Pension is paid in addition to the basic State Pension.
Graduated Retirement Benefit
Based on any graduated NI contributions you paid between April 1961 and April 1975.
Long-term Incapacity Benefit Age Addition to State Pension
Your State Pension will be automatically and permanently increased if you were getting long-term Incapacity Benefit Age Addition at anytime within the period of 8 weeks ending on the day before you reach State Pension age.
Your long-term Incapacity Benefit Age Addition will be reduced if you are getting any additional State Pension. This may mean no long-term Incapacity Benefit Age Addition is payable.
The rate you get will be the same as that which is paid with your Incapacity Benefit.
Age Addition
This is 25p a week and is paid to anyone aged 80 or over on top of their State Pension.
Increased State Pension for dependants
You may be able to get increased State Pension for your husband, wife or civil partner.
Before 6 April 2003 you could get an increase in your State Pension for any children you had responsibility for, or if someone else looked after children for you. If you were receiving this increase before 6 April 2003 it will continue to be paid. From 6 April 2003 provision for children is made through Child Tax Credits.
What else should I know?
The Pensions Act 2007 and the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 have made changes to the State Pensions system.
Find out more about Pensions reform
If you are a married woman and cannot get a full basic State Pension because you do not have enough qualifying years based on your own National Insurance (NI) contributions, you may be able to get a State Pension based on your husband's NI contributions. You can only do this if he is already getting a basic State Pension and you are aged 60 or over.
If you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner, you may be able to get a basic State Pension based on your late husband's, wife's or civil partner’s NI contributions.
If you are already a widow, widower or surviving civil partner you can get up to 100% of your late husband's, wife's or civil partner’s additional State Pension.
If your husband or wife or civil partner reached State Pension age before 6 October 2002, you will receive up to 100% of their SERPS pension or Additional State Pension when they die.
If your husband, wife or civil partner is due to reach State Pension age after 5 October 2002 but before 6 October 2010, if they die before you, you will receive a maximum of between 90% and 60% of their SERPS pension. The exact amount will depend on when, in this period, they reach State Pension age.
If you husband or wife is due to reach State Pension age on or after 6 October 2010, you will receive up to 50% of their SERPS pension if they die before you.
The maximum amount of additional State Pension built up after 6 April 2002 under the State Second Pension that a surviving husband, wife or civil partner can inherit will be 50%.
If you are divorced or your civil partnership has been dissolved and you cannot get a full basic State Pension based on the qualifying years from your own NI contributions, you may be able to get a basic State Pension based on your former husband's, wife's or civil partners NI contributions. They do not need to be getting their State Pension.
If you carry on working after claiming your State Pension, your earnings will not affect how much State Pension you get. But if you get an increase for a dependant, their earnings may affect how much increase you get for them.
If you put off claiming your State Pension for at least five weeks when you reach State Pension age, you can earn extra State Pension. The weekly amount of your State Pension will be higher, but you will not get any State Pension for the weeks you put off claiming.
From April 2005, if you put off claiming your extra State Pension for at least 12 months, you may be able to choose between extra weekly pension and a one-off taxable lump-sum payment when you do finally claim.
Find out how you could benefit from putting off claiming your State Pension
For more information contact The Pension Service.
How much will I get?
Only use these amounts as a guide. The rules for benefits mean that your individual circumstances may affect the amount you can get. This means you will not always be able to work out exactly how much you will get by using these amounts.
|
Basic State Pension (per week from 9 April 2007) |
|
|---|---|
|
Based on your own or your late husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s NI contributions |
£87.30 |
|
Based on your husband’s NI contributions |
£52.30 |
|
Non-contributory Over 80 pension |
£52.30 |
|
Age Addition |
£ 0.25 |
The amounts of all benefits are reviewed each year with most benefits uprated in April. However, your State Pension is not uprated if you live in certain countries abroad.
Additional State Pension
From 1978 to 2002 additional State Pension was paid from the State Earnings - Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) and was only available to employees.
From 6 April 2002, SERPS was reformed to provide a more generous additional State Pension for low and moderate earners, and to extend access to include certain carers and people with long-term illness or disability. This is called the State Second Pension.
Graduated Retirement Benefit
Based on your graduated NI contributions paid between April 1961 and April 1975. For every £7.50 (man) or £9 (woman) of graduated contributions paid you get 10.57 pence (in 2007/08).
Increased benefits for dependants
Dependent children
If you were in receipt of the increase for dependent children before 5 April 2003, you may continue to receive:
- £9 for the oldest child who qualifies for Child Benefit
- £11.35 for each other child who qualifies
No claim for this benefit can be made after 6 April 2003.
Dependent adults
You may get £52.30 (in 2007/08) for a husband, wife or a person looking after children, paid with your State Pension (based on your NI contributions).
How do I claim?
You will usually be sent an invitation to claim your State Pension 4 months before you reach State Pension age. If you have not received your invitation 3 months before you reach State Pension age, get in touch with The Pension Service
It is important that we can be sure of your identity when you make a claim. We may need to ask you about your background and look at any official documents you have to support the information you give.
Read or print a form
You can read or print a State Pension benefit claim form. You should post this completed form to your pension centre or local office.
This form does not apply in Northern Ireland. For information on pensions in Northern Ireland see the Social Security Northern Ireland website.
You can call the State Pension claimline on 0845 300 1084 (textphone 0845 300 2086), opening hours 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm Saturday.
What happens if?
I go into hospital or someone I claim for goes into hospital?
You must tell The Pension Service as soon as you go into or come out of hospital, if you get an increase for someone paid with your State Pension.
I go to live abroad or visit?
Contact The Pension Service as soon as you can to let us know you are going abroad.
You can continue to get your State Pension anywhere in the world. Most benefits are affected if you are going abroad. You can get more information about certain countries on the Department for Work and Pensions website, or read the frequently asked questions about living overseas in the Pension Service A to Z section.
I go abroad for 3 months or less
If you have your State Pension paid into an account, this can continue. If you are paid by cheque you can ask us to pay the money into an account or we will pay your State Pension as a lump sum when you return to the UK.
I go abroad for between 6 and 12 months
If you have your State Pension paid into an account, this can continue. You can then arrange to transfer the money abroad.
If you do not want this to continue, we can send a cheque (in sterling) at the end of every 4 or 13 weeks. We can send this straight to you, your overseas bank or someone else appointed by you.
If you prefer, we can pay your State Pension as a lump sum when you return to the UK.
I go abroad for 12 months or permanently
We can pay your State Pension straight into your overseas account in some countries.
If this is not possible or if you prefer, we can pay your State Pension into a UK account or we can send a cheque (in sterling) at the end of every 4 or 13 weeks. We can send this straight to you, your overseas bank or someone else outside the UK chosen by you.
If you are away for less than two years we can pay your State Pension as a lump sum when you return to the UK.
If your State Pension is £5 a week or less and is paid once a year, we will continue to pay it in this way while you are abroad.
Your first payment after you leave the UK may be delayed, but we will make every effort to keep any delay as short as possible.
Special arrangements may have to be made if you need payments made to Pakistan, India or Bangladesh.
You can continue to get your State Pension anywhere in the world, but in some countries you may not be able to get an increase in your State Pension for your dependants or the yearly increase in your payments. Contact The Pension Service before you go abroad.
I start voluntary work?
State Pension is not usually affected by voluntary work.
I go into residential care or a nursing home?
Your State Pension may be affected. Contact The Pension Service as soon as you go into care or a home and we will advise you.
More information
You can read or print a number of guides on from the Pension Service website. You can also ask for copies to be sent to you in the post. Go to the Guides and Forms section
You can also apply for a State Pension Forecast
Have you heard about Pension Credit?
Read the frequently asked questions about living overseas in the Pension Service A to Z section.
Other help
Attendance Allowance on the Directgov website
Christmas Bonus on the Department for Work and Pensions website
Cold Weather Payment on the Jobcentre Plus website
Pension Credit on the Pension Service website
Jobseeker's Allowance on the Jobcentre Plus website
Over 80 Pension on the Pension Service website
Winter Fuel Payment on the Pension Service website
Social Fund Crisis Loans on the Department for Work and Pensions website
Definitions
The European Economic Area (EEA) is made up of all European Union (EU) countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Gibraltar is treated as another EEA country by the UK. Other EEA countries treat Gibraltar as part of the UK.
Switzerland is not a member of the EEA but as the result of an agreement with the EU that came into force on 1 June 2002, the majority of EU rules on social security also cover Switzerland. However, EU rules do not apply to Swiss nationals going to or coming from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway or nationals of these countries who are going to or who are coming from Switzerland.
UK means England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but not the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Great Britain means England, Scotland and Wales.
Remember that this website is only a general guide to benefits and schemes and is not a full and authoritative statement of the law. The information is correct at the time is was added. There is no guarantee that it is still valid. Please contact the Pension Service direct to verfiy any of this points.
