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State Pension forecast
Important information
We are currently unable to provide our usual pension forecasting service to some of our customers in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This is because we are changing our computer systems to reflect the changes to State Pension rules introduced by the Pensions Act 2007 and the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. We aim to provide the full service again by Autumn 2008.
You can still get a pension forecast if you will reach State Pension age before 6 April 2010, but not if you will reach State Pension age on or after that date.
Get an instant online pension forecast
(available to people who will reach State Pension age before 6 April 2010)
Use our State Pension age calculator to find out when you will be entitled to claim your State Pension.
Find out how changes might affect your State Pension
If you need more information, contact
the Future Pension Centre (FPC)
What is it?
A State Pension forecast tells you in today's money values:
- the amount of State Pension you may get based on your National Insurance contributions so far
- the amount of State Pension you may get when you claim your State Pension
Can I get a forecast?
Are you:
- living in the UK
- more than 30 days away from State Pension age?
- reaching State Pension age on or before 6th April 2010?
If you answered YES, you can ask for a State Pension forecast.
From 6 April 2020, the State Pension age for women will be 65, the same as for men. Women's State Pension age will start to change gradually from 2010.
This will not affect women born on or before 5 April 1950, who can still claim their State Pension at 60. Women born on or after 6 April 1955 and before 6 April 1959 will have a State Pension age of 65.
The state pension age for both men and women is to increase from 65 to 68 between 2024 and 2046, with each change phased in over two consecutive years in each decade. The first increase, from 65 to 66, will be phased in between April 2024 and April 2026; the second, from 66 to 67, will be phased in between April 2034 and April 2036; and the third, from 67 to 68, between April 2044 and April 2046.
Our State Pension age calculator will tell you the date you will reach State Pension age.
What else should I know?
The Pensions Act 2007 and the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 have made changes to the UK State Pensions system. Find out more about these reforms
If you have recently come from abroad or returned from abroad, you should take a look at the extra rules about coming from abroad about State Pension on the Department for Work and Pensions website.
You can also contact The Pension Service from overseas via email, phone or fax.
If you live outside the UK and want a State Pension forecast contact HM Revenue & Customs, Residency
If you are within 4 months and 4 days of State Pension age and you have not had a State Pension claim pack, contact The Pension Service straight away.
Basic State Pension
Your basic State Pension is the part of your State Pension that is based on the
National
Insurance (NI) contributions you pay, or are given as credits, during your working life.
Your forecast will tell you in today's money values:
- the amount of basic State Pension you have earned already
- the amount of basic State Pension that you can expect at State Pension age based on what you have earned already and what you might earn before you reach State Pension age
- if there is anything you can do to improve your basic State Pension.
Additional State Pension and Contracted-out Deductions (COD)
Additional State Pension, also known as State Earnings-Related
Pension Scheme (SERPS), is the part of your State Pension that depends on your earnings since April 1978.
Some employees are contracted-out of this scheme by their employers or by a personal pension scheme. If this applies to you, we will give you more information in your State Pension forecast letter.
Your forecast will tell you in today's money values:
- the amount of additional State Pension you have earned already
- the amount of additional State Pension you can expect at State Pension age based on what you have earned already and what you might earn before you reach State Pension age.
Graduated Retirement Benefit
Graduated Retirement Benefit is the part of your State Pension that depends on the amount of graduated NI contributions you may have paid between 1961
and 1975 when the scheme was in operation.
Your forecast will tell you in today's money values how many units of Graduated Retirement Benefit you have and what they are worth.
If you are widowed, divorced or your civil partnership has been dissolved
Your late or former husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s
NI contributions can sometimes be used to help you get a better State
Pension.
Your forecast will tell you in today's money values the amount of State Pension you can expect by using your late or former spouse's NI contributions, if this will give you a better State Pension than using your own contributions.
How do I apply?
There are four ways to get a State Pension forecast:
- Get an instant online pension forecast
- print out an application form and post it
- call the Future Pension Centre on 0845 300 0168 and they will fill in the form with you over the phone; lines are open from 8.00am to 8.00pm Monday to Friday and 9.00am to 1.00pm on Saturday; calls are charged at local rates; calls from mobile phones or cable networks may differ. If you have hearing or speech difficulties and have a textphone, call textphone 0845 3000 169
- write to the Future Pension Centre and ask for a forecast application
form (BR19) and a return envelope at:
Future Pension Centre
The Pension Service
Tyneview Park
Whitley Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE98 1BA
It will take an average of 12 working days to prepare your forecast from the date your application form is received.
The forecast application form is available in English and Welsh. If you do not speak English or Welsh we can arrange for an interpreter, through The Pension Service's telephone interpreting service, which is available straight away.
It is important that we can be sure of your identity when you make an application. We may need to ask you about your background and look at any official documents you have to support the information you give. You can have your forecast sent to you or someone else.
Definitions
The European Economic Area (EEA) is made up of all European Union countries - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
The UK is also part of the EEA. UK means England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, but not the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
Gibraltar is treated as another EEA country by the UK. Other EEA countries treat Gibraltar as part of the UK.
Switzerland is not a member of the EEA, but as the result of an agreement with the EU that came into force on 1 June 2002, the majority of EU rules on social security also cover Switzerland. However, EU rules do not apply to Swiss nationals going to or coming from Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway or nationals of these countries who are going to or who are coming from Switzerland.
Great Britain means England, Scotland and Wales. Remember that this website is only a general guide to benefits and schemes and is not a full and authoritative statement of the law.
Other help
Find out
more about health and well being for over 50s on the Directgov website