Can I get State Pension?
Have you:
- Reached State Pension age?
- Have you, your husband wife or civil partner paid or been credited with National Insurance (NI) contributions?
If you answered YES to both, you may be entitled to a State Pension.
State Pension is made up of the following:
Basic State Pension
Entitlement to the basic State Pension is dependent on the number of qualifying years you have earned over your working life.
Qualifying years are based on the NI contributions you have paid, been treated as having paid or been credited with during your working life.
Working life
Your working life is the period over which you have to have met the contribution conditions for the basic State Pension. It is normally:
- 49 years for men
- 44 years for women born on or before 5 October 1950
- 45 years for women born on 6 October 1950 or on any day through to and including 5 October 1951
- 46 years for women born on 6 October 1951 or on any day through to and including 5 October 1952
- 47 years for women born on 6 October 1952 or on any day through to and including 5 October 1953
- 48 years for women born on 6 October 1953 or on any day through to and including 5 October 1954
- 49 years for women born on 6 October 1954 or later
Your working life is counted from the start of the tax year in which you reach the age of 16 to the end of the tax year before the one in which you reach State Pension age.
Additional State Pension
Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be entitled to additional State Pension. This is also called the State Second Pension and was formerly known as the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme or (SERPS). As its name suggests, additional State Pension is paid in addition to the basic State Pension.
Graduated Retirement Benefit
Based on any graduated NI contributions you paid between April 1961 and April 1975.
Long-term Incapacity Benefit Age Addition to State Pension
Your State Pension will be automatically and permanently increased if you were getting long-term Incapacity Benefit Age Addition at anytime within the period of 8 weeks ending on the day before you reach State Pension age.
Your long-term Incapacity Benefit Age Addition will be reduced if you are getting any additional State Pension. This may mean no long-term Incapacity Benefit Age Addition is payable.
The rate you get will be the same as that which is paid with your Incapacity Benefit.
Age Addition
This is 25p a week and is paid to anyone aged 80 or over on top of their State Pension.
Increased State Pension for dependants
You may be able to get increased State Pension for your husband, wife or civil partner.
Before 6 April 2003 you could get an increase in your State Pension for any children you had responsibility for, or if someone else looked after children for you. If you were receiving this increase before 6 April 2003 it will continue to be paid. From 6 April 2003 provision for children is made through Child Tax Credits.