Basic State Pension

How much do you get?

From April 2011, the government introduced a triple guarantee that the Basic State Pension will rise by the highest of the following:

• earnings;

• prices (using the Consumer Price Index); or

• 2.5%.

This means that in 2014-15, the Basic State Pension increase is 2.7%.

The standard rate of Basic State Pension for a man or woman with a full contributions record is £113.10 a week. A wife qualifying on her husband’s contributions is entitled to £67.80, making a couple’s pension £180.90 a week.

Who can get it?

Your Basic State Pension depends on the number of years you’ve paid National Insurance or got National Insurance credits, e.g. while unemployed or claiming certain benefits.

To qualify for a Basic State Pension at least one of the following must apply to you:

• you were working and paying National Insurance;

• you were getting certain benefits, e.g. for unemployment, or sickness;

• you were a parent or carer and claiming certain benefits or credits;

• you have a spouse or civil partner whose National Insurance contributions cover you;

• you were paying voluntary National Insurance contributions.

To get the full Basic State Pension you need 30 years’ worth of contributions or credits. These are your qualifying years. If you have fewer than 30 years your State Pension will be less than £113.10 per week.

You will be credited with contributions during periods when you are receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, Working Tax Credit, Maternity Allowance, Statutory Sick Pay, Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay, Carer’s Allowance or Severe Disablement Allowance, or are on an approved training scheme.

If you’ve been a parent or carer you can get National Insurance (NI) credits which allow you to build entitlement to the State Pension. You may be eligible for NI credits if you are:

• a parent with a dependent child under 12 years of age;

• an approved foster carer; or

• caring for at least 20 hours per week for one or more severely disabled people.

Increased Basic State Pensions for married women, married men and civil partners

If you’re not eligible for a Basic State Pension or not getting the full amount, you might be able to qualify or top up to £67.80 through your spouse’s or civil partner’s National Insurance contributions if:

• you have both reached State Pension age;

• your spouse or civil partner qualifies for some Basic State Pension (even if they haven’t claimed it);

• your wife or civil partner was born after 6 April 1950 (married men and civil partners only).

You do this through claiming your State Pension.

How to claim

You should receive a claim form from the Pension Service four months before you reach state pension age. If you have not received it three months before reaching pension age, you should contact the Pension Service (see page 79) immediately or you may suffer a delay in receiving your pension. It is possible to be paid backdated entitlement going back 12 months.

Postponing the Basic Pension

You can postpone drawing your retirement pension for an indefinite period after reaching the state pension age. This will increase the deferred pension by around 10.4% for every year you put off claiming. You can also get a lump-sum payment if you defer your pension for at least a year.

Over-80 pension

If you are over 80 and are not entitled to the Basic State Pension at all, or only to a proportion of the full rate (up to 60%), you can claim the non-contributory (category D) pension for the over-80s. The pension is worth £67.80 a week. You can request a claim form from your local pension centre or benefits office.