Understanding and qualifying for new State Pension

Christmas and New Year Public Holidays - Benefit Payment Dates

If your payment is due on Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 or Friday 27 December 2024, or Wednesday 1 January 2025, you will still be paid by that date.

All benefits operate on different payment systems, but you will not receive your payment later than the day it would normally be due.

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

Eligibility

You will 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.

Your National Insurance Record

You will 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 paid 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 contributions.

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

Claiming or inheriting a deferred State Pension

Working after State Pension Age

If you keep working after you reach State Pension age you can stop paying National Insurance. You can also request flexible working arrangements.

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.

How much you can get

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 £221.20 per 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 £221.20 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 £221.20 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 per cent

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.

How to claim

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

You can find more information and start your claim on Ways to claim State Pension

How to claim is different if you claim from Great Britain or if you claim from abroad, including the Channel Islands.

How it's paid

After you’ve made a claim you will get a letter about your payments.

The new State Pension is usually paid every 4 weeks into an account of your choice. You’re paid in arrears (that is for the last 4 weeks, not the coming 4 weeks).

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 within 5 weeks of 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 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.

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 (£221.20 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.

Your National Insurance record and new State 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 per cent.

You cannot build up this extra State Pension if you get certain benefits. Deferring can also affect how much you can get in benefits.

Deferring State Pension

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.

Claiming or inheriting a deferred State Pension

You can find out more information on Claiming or inheriting a deferred State Pension

Living and working overseas

If you live or work in another country, you might be able to contribute towards that country’s State Pension scheme.

If you’ve lived or worked in another country in the past, you might be eligible for that country’s state pension and a UK State Pension.

To check if you can pay into or receive another country’s state pension, contact the pension service for that country.

Living or working overseas and the State Pension