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State Pension Benefits

The State Pension is made up of Basic State Pension and Additional State Pension. The amount of Basic State Pension you will receive when you reach State Pension age depends on the number of years you have paid or been treated as paying National Insurance contributions. These are called ' qualifying years '. In certain circumstances, you can be credited with National Insurance contributions when you are unable to do paid work.

Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be entitled to Additional State Pension. As its name suggests, additional State Pension is paid in addition to the basic State Pension. Until April 2002, it was usually known as SERPS (introduced in 1978) and depended solely on the National Insurance contributions you paid as an employee. From April 2002, State Second Pension reforms SERPS to provide a better additional State Pension for low and moderate earners, and certain carers and long-term disabled people.


  
     

 

How many qualifying years do you need?

Men currently need 44 qualifying years to get a full basic State Pension and women who reach 60 before 2010 need 39 years. From 6 April 2010 the number of qualifying years needed for a full basic State Pension will be reduced to 30.

When can you get your State Pension?

You can claim your State Pension when you reach State Pension age. The State Pension age is 65 for men and, currently, 60 for women. But as the State Pension age for women will start to change from 2010, it is important that you find out your State Pension age. The State Pension age calculator www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/statepensioncalc.asp will tell you the date you will reach State Pension age.

How much State Pension will you receive?

For the 2008/09 tax year, basic State Pension for a single person is £90.70 per week and for a married couple it is £145.05. You can get a State Pension forecast, which will tell you in today's money the State Pension you have already earned and what you can expect to have earned by State Pension age. It will also include details of your additional State Pension, if you have one.

There are four ways to get a forecast of your State Pension benefits:

  • Get a State Pension forecast online at www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/e-services/home.asp
  • Print out the State Pension forecast application form www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/br19/home.asp
    Fill it in and send it to the Future Pension Centre, The Pension Service, Tyneview Park, Whitley Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1BA.
  • Call the Future Pension Centre on 0845 300 0168 and they will fill in the form with you over the telephone. Lines are open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. Calls are charged at local rates. Call charges from mobile phones or cable networks may differ. If you have hearing or speech difficulties and have a textphone, call textphone 0845 300 0169.
  • Write to the Future Pension Centre, The Pension Service, Tyneview Park, Whitley Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1BA. Ask for a forecast application form (BR19) and a return envelope.

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