Inheriting basic State Pension

You may be entitled to some of your spouse or civil partner's State Pension entitlements. Find out if you are eligible for basic State Pension, Bereavement Support Service and additional State Pension.

This information is for a man born before 6 April 1951 or a woman born before 6 April 1953

Entitlement

If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you may be able to inherit some of your spouse or civil partner’s State Pension when they die.

Contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre to see what you can claim.

You may be able to increase your basic State Pension by using their qualifying years if you do not already get the full amount of £169.50 a week.

You may also be able to inherit part of your spouse’s or civil partner’s Additional State Pension or Graduated Retirement Benefit.

If you reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 different rules apply to you.

You can check what inheritance you may be entitled to based on your spouse’s or civil partner’s National Insurance Contributions.

Bereavement Support Payment

You may also be able to claim Bereavement Support Payment.

For more information about bereavement, including Bereavement Support Payment, go to the link below:

Bereavement

Inheriting a deferred State Pension

If your spouse or partner deferred their State Pension and built up an extra amount, you can usually claim the extra State Pension or get a lump sum. You must not have remarried or formed a new civil partnership.

If they deferred for less than 12 months, you can only get extra State Pension. You cannot get a lump sum.

You can only get the extra State Pension once you’ve reached State Pension age.

Inheriting State Pension Top Up

If your spouse or civil partner topped up their State Pension (between 12 October 2015 and 5 April 2017) you may be able to inherit some or all of their top up.

Spouse or civil partner born before 6 April 1950

You can only get the increase if you’re a woman who is married to either:

a man
a woman who legally changed their gender from male to female during your marriage

How to apply

Most people will get the increase automatically if they are eligible.

You will need to contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre to get the increase if you’re a married woman and:

your spouse claimed their State Pension before 17 March 2008
you reached State Pension age before your spouse

You’ll also need to contact the Pension Service if either of the following apply:

your spouse or civil partner reached State Pension age but has not claimed their State Pension yet

you were widowed, divorced or had your civil partnership dissolved in the last 12 months

Your State Pension and your partner's National Insurance record

The rules about how you can increase your State Pension and what you can inherit depend on when you and your spouse or civil partner reach State Pension age.

Use the online tool at the link below for:

general advice about being eligible to inherit from a spouse or civil partner
an estimate of your State Pension entitlements

Your partner's National Insurance record and your State Pension (GOV.UK)

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?

report a problem

leave feedback

ask a question

Report a problem

Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

A link, button or video is not working

There is a spelling mistake

Information is missing, outdated or wrong

I can't find what I'm looking for

Another issue

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

Tell us more about the problem you're having with the nidirect website.

Enter your feedback

What is your question about?

Choose a topic for your question:

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit. Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme, email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about 60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly. We don't have access to information about you.

Extra comments (optional)

Translation help

Select a language