The old State Pension (before 2016)
If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, the old State Pension system applies to you. The State Pension...
There were a number of changes made to the State Pension in 2016.
The new State Pension is a regular payment from the government that most people can claim in later life.
You can claim the new State Pension when you reach State Pension age if you have at least 10 years of National Insurance contributions and are:
If you were born before these dates you'll get the old State Pension instead.
You can claim your State Pension up to 4 months before you reach State Pension age. However, it doesn't start being paid until you reach State Pension age.
If you claim your State Pension after you reach State Pension age, then you can request backdating of your State Pension. The maximum period of backdating is 12 months, but a claim can't be backdated to a date before you reached State Pension age.
Use the GOV.UK State Pension calculator to find out your State Pension age.
Yes, you can. However, here are some things you should bear in mind:
The full rate of the new State Pension will be £221.20 per week in 2024-25 but you may get more or less, depending on your National Insurance (NI) record.
If you've already built up NI contributions under the pre-2016 system, you’ll be given a ‘starting amount’. This will be whichever's higher out of the following:
If your 'starting amount' is more than the full amount of the new State Pension, then any amount over that level will be protected and paid on top of the full amount when you start to claim the new State Pension.
If your starting amount is less than the full amount of the new State Pension, then you may be able to build up a higher level of new State Pension through contributions and credits you make between 6 April 2016 and when you reach State Pension age.
So, your State Pension amount will be the higher starting amount figure plus the value of any qualifying years you had from 6 April 2016 onwards, up to the full rate of the new State Pension.
Check your State Pension forecast on GOV.UK
When working out the ‘starting amount’ for your State Pension, a deduction will be made from both calculations if you were in a ‘contracted out’ personal or workplace pension scheme – for example, if you were a member of a public sector pension.
The deduction is made because in this case, you'd normally have paid NI contributions at a lower rate because you were paying into a contracted out pension or because some of your NI contributions were paid towards your private pension instead of additional State Pension.
If you made no NI contributions before April 2016, your State Pension is calculated entirely under new State Pension rules. You usually need at least 10 qualifying years in your NI record to get the new State Pension.
Your new State Pension is more likely to be calculated in this way if you were born after the year 2000 or became a resident of the UK after 2015.
If you have:
The State Pension is based on your own contributions and in general you'll not be able to claim on your spouse or civil partner’s contributions at retirement, or if you're widowed or divorced. However, if you're widowed, you may be able to inherit part of your partner’s Additional State Pension that was already built up under the pre-2016 rules.
If you're a woman who paid the reduced rate ‘married woman’s contributions’, you may be able to use these contributions towards the State Pension.
If you’re not on course to get a full State Pension, there may be some things you can do to help boost your pension.
You don’t have to claim your State Pension when you reach State Pension age. This is known as deferring, and could mean that you get extra State Pension when you do claim.
How much extra you get will depend on how long you defer claiming it. The State Pension increases by 1% for every 9 weeks you put off claiming it, or around 5.8% for each full year. This may not apply to you if you get certain benefits.
Find out more about deferring your pension on GOV.UK
If you’re a carer and don’t work, this could affect your NI record and impact your State Pension amount. If you care for someone at least 20 hours per week, you could get Carer’s Credit to help maintain your NI record.
You'll automatically receive Carer's Credit if you receive Carer's Allowance. But if you aren't eligible for Carer's Allowance, you could still get Carer's Credit.
Find out more about Carer’s Credit on GOV.UK
If you live abroad or used to, you may have a gap in your NI record which could affect the amount of State Pension you’ll get.
You may be able to get a pension from the country you live in currently or used to live in – to find out, contact the department responsible for State Pensions in that country. If the country is in the European Economic Area or Switzerland, then the DWP may be able to help you contact them.
If you reach State Pension age after 6 April 2016, you might be able to use the time you worked abroad to make up some of the qualifying years that you need to get the new State Pension. But this depends on the country you lived in.
Find out more about the new State Pension if you've lived or worked overseas on GOV.UK
If you have gaps in your record and want to boost your State Pension, you could make voluntary NI contributions. How much these are and if you are eligible will depend on your individual circumstances.
Find out more about making voluntary NI contributions on GOV.UK
MoneyHelper's pension calculator can help you work out how much money you'll need in retirement and how much you can expect.
You won’t normally receive your State Pension automatically. You should get an invitation letter from the Pension Service 4 months before you reach State Pension age, explaining how to claim your State Pension.
If you haven't received an invitation letter with 2 months to go, call the Pension Service on 0800 731 7898.
You can claim your pension online, over the phone or by post. You'll need to provide your National Insurance number when you make a claim and you may need to provide evidence of your date of birth.
You can claim your State Pension online on GOV.UK. The service is available 24/7 and is safe and secure. You can call the helpdesk on 0800 169 0154 if you have any difficulty using the service.
To claim over the phone, call the Pension Service claim line on 0800 731 7898. Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm (except public holidays).
You can also fill in a claim form and return it by post. You have to phone the Pension Service to get a State Pension claim form posted to you. Claiming by post takes the longest of all the methods.
We offer support through our free advice line on 0800 678 1602. Lines are open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year. We also have specialist advisers at over 120 local Age UKs.
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