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, 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.