You’ll be able to claim the new State Pension when you reach State Pension age if you’re: a man born on or after 6 April 1951 a woman born on or after 6 April 1953 If you were born before, these rules do not apply. Instead, you’ll get the basic State Pension . You may also get Additional State Pension . This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) and easy read format . Your National Insurance record You’ll need 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension. A qualifying year is one in which you were: working and made National Insurance contributions getting National Insurance credits for example if you were unemployed, ill or a parent or carer paying voluntary National Insurance contributions You might also qualify if you’ve lived or worked abroad or paid reduced rate National Insurance for married women . The qualifying years on your National Insurance record affect how much State Pension you get. Check your State Pension forecast to see what you might get when you reach State Pension age. Your spouse or civil partner’s pension Your new State Pension is usually based on your own National Insurance record. In some cases you might inherit State Pension or increase it through a spouse or civil partner .

Your State Pension amount depends on your National Insurance record. Check your State Pension forecast to find out how much you could get when you reach State Pension age. It also shows your National Insurance record. The full rate of new State Pension is £230.25 a week. Your amount could be different depending on: if you were contracted out before 2016 the number of National Insurance qualifying years you have if you paid into the Additional State Pension before 2016 Find out what tax you might pay on your retirement income . If you’re getting less than £230.25 a week You might need more National Insurance qualifying years to increase your State Pension . If your National Insurance record started before April 2016 You may have been contracted out . While you were contracted out, you or your employer paid more into your workplace or private pension and less into your State Pension. If you were contracted out, you will usually need more than 35 qualifying years to get the full rate of new State Pension. If your National Insurance record started after April 2016 If your National Insurance record started after April 2016 you will need 35 qualifying years to get the full rate of new State Pension. If you’re getting more than £230.25 a week If you paid into the Additional State Pension before 2016 and would have got more State Pension under the old rules, you’ll get a ‘protected payment’. This is paid on top of the full rate of new State Pension. Annual increases The new State Pension increases each year by whichever is the highest: earnings – the average percentage growth in wages (in Great Britain) prices – the percentage growth in prices in the UK measured by the Consumer Prices Index ( CPI ) 2.5% If you have a protected payment, it increases each year in line with the CPI . Further information You can read ‘Your new State Pension explained’ for more detailed information about the new State Pension scheme.

You will not get your new State Pension automatically - you have to claim it. You’ll need: the date of your most recent marriage, civil partnership or divorce the dates of any time spent living or working abroad your bank or building society details any social security numbers that you have for foreign state pension schemes If you’re applying online, you’ll also need the invitation code from the letter about getting your State Pension. If you have not received an invitation letter but you are within 3 months of reaching your State Pension age, you can request an invitation code . Apply now How to claim is different if you claim from Northern Ireland or if you claim from abroad , including the Channel Islands. Other ways to apply Claim by phone If you’ll reach State Pension age in the next 4 months, you can phone the Pension Service to claim. Claim by post You need to phone the Pension Service to get a State Pension claim form posted to you. Send your completed form to: Freepost DWP Pensions Service 3 Do not write anything except the freepost address on the envelope. You do not need a postcode or a stamp. After you apply You must tell the Pension Service if your circumstances change . If you want to keep working You can claim your new State Pension even if you carry on working. However, you can delay (defer) claiming your state pension to increase the amount you get. If you also want to claim a state pension from another country When you apply, you’ll be asked if you’ve lived or worked abroad. You’ll be sent a claim form if you lived or worked in: a European Economic Area (EEA) country Switzerland The International Pension Centre will send your claim to state pension schemes in the countries you’ve lived or worked in. The schemes will contact you if you’re eligible. You do not need to make separate claims to them. If you want to claim state pensions from any other countries, contact the pension authority in the last country you lived or worked in. Contact the International Pension Centre if you need help with your claim. Claiming an Isle of Man pension If you’re eligible for a state pension from the Isle of Man, it will be separate to your UK new State Pension. Find out if you’re eligible and how to claim your Isle of Man pension . You’ll get one payment for your UK pension and a separate payment for your Isle of Man pension. You cannot defer an Isle of Man pension after 6 April 2016.

After you’ve claimed your State Pension you’ll get a letter about your payments. The new State Pension is usually paid into your account every 4 weeks. If you want to change the account, tell the Pension Service . There are different rules if you live abroad . Your first payment You’ll be asked when you want to start getting your State Pension when you claim. Your first payment will be no later than 5 weeks after the date you choose. You’ll get a full payment every 4 weeks after that. You might get part of a payment before your first full payment. The letter confirming your State Pension payment will tell you what to expect. Your payment day The day your pension is paid depends on your National Insurance number. You might be paid earlier if your normal payment day is a bank holiday. Last 2 digits of your National Insurance number Payment day of the week 00 to 19 Monday 20 to 39 Tuesday 40 to 59 Wednesday 60 to 79 Thursday 80 to 99 Friday

How to increase your retirement income

You can get advice from an independent financial adviser if you want more information on increasing your retirement income. Adding onto your National Insurance record Each qualifying year after 6 April 2016 added to your National Insurance record increases your State Pension amount, up to the full rate (£230.25 a week). Get a State Pension forecast or check your State Pension award letter to see what you’ll get. You might be able to add more National Insurance qualifying years by: working and paying National Insurance contributions until you reach State Pension age getting National Insurance credits making voluntary National Insurance contributions to fill gaps in your record Years where you were contracted out count as qualifying years and are not gaps in your National Insurance record. Workplace or personal pensions You can pay into a workplace pension or personal pension . Working after State Pension age You can keep working after you reach State Pension age . If you do, you’ll stop paying National Insurance . Delaying (deferring) your State Pension Your State Pension will increase every week you delay (defer) claiming it , as long as you defer for at least 9 weeks. For every year you delay claiming, your weekly payments increase by just under 5.8%. You cannot build up this extra State Pension if you get certain benefits . Deferring can also affect how much you can get in benefits. Other benefits if you’ve reached State Pension age If you’re on a low income, you may be eligible to apply for Pension Credit , even if you’ve saved money for retirement. If you have a disability and someone helps look after you, you may be eligible for Attendance Allowance . You may be eligible for other benefits and financial support .

Inheriting or increasing State Pension from a spouse or civil partner

You might be able to inherit an extra payment on top of your new State Pension if you’re widowed. You will not be able to inherit anything if you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age. Inheriting Additional State Pension You might inherit part of your deceased partner’s Additional State Pension if your marriage or civil partnership with them began before 6 April 2016 and one of the following applies: your partner reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 they died before 6 April 2016 but would have reached State Pension age on or after that date It will be paid with your State Pension. Inheriting a protected payment You’ll inherit half of your partner’s protected payment if your marriage or civil partnership with them began before 6 April 2016 and: they reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 they died on or after 6 April 2016 It will be paid with your State Pension. Inheriting extra State Pension or a lump sum You may inherit part of or all of your partner’s extra State Pension or lump sum if: they died while they were deferring their State Pension (before claiming) or they had started claiming it after deferring they reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 you were married or in the civil partnership when they died Your partner’s National Insurance record and your State Pension The new State Pension is based on your own National Insurance record. If you paid reduced rate National Insurance for married women , you might be able to increase your new State Pension if you’re eligible . If you get divorced or dissolve your civil partnership The courts can make a ‘pension sharing order’ if you get divorced or dissolve your civil partnership. You’ll get an extra payment on top of your State Pension if your ex-partner is ordered to share their Additional State Pension or protected payment with you. Your State Pension will be reduced if you’re ordered to share your Additional State Pension or protected payment with your partner.

The new State Pension

Eligibility

You’ll be able to claim the new State Pension when you reach State Pension age if you’re:

a man born on or after 6 April 1951
a woman born on or after 6 April 1953

If you were born before, these rules do not apply. Instead, you’ll get the basic State Pension. You may also get Additional State Pension.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) and easy read format.

Your National Insurance record

You’ll need 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any new State Pension.

A qualifying year is one in which you were:

working and made National Insurance contributions
getting National Insurance credits for example if you were unemployed, ill or a parent or carer
paying voluntary National Insurance contributions

You might also qualify if you’ve lived or worked abroad or paid reduced rate National Insurance for married women.

The qualifying years on your National Insurance record affect how much State Pension you get. Check your State Pension forecast to see what you might get when you reach State Pension age.

Your spouse or civil partner’s pension

Your new State Pension is usually based on your own National Insurance record. In some cases you might inherit State Pension or increase it through a spouse or civil partner.

View a printable version of the whole guide

The new State Pension

Eligibility

Your National Insurance record

Your spouse or civil partner’s pension

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The new State Pension

Eligibility

Your National Insurance record

Your spouse or civil partner’s pension

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