State Pension Advice.

Havering Welfare Benefits Adviser Lorraine Moss today writes in the Havering Daily.

State Pension used to be very straight forward, it started to be paid to woman once they turned 60 and men once they reached 65.  However, this is now changed and the age from which you can start claiming State Pension depends on the year that you were born.  Please see State Pension age timetable – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).  There is also a very useful tool to check when you will reach State pension age, please see Check your State Pension age – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk),

How Much Will You Get?

State Pension is a contribution-based benefit and the amount that you receive will depend on your national insurance contributions.  The full State pension is £179.60  per week.  Please see The new State Pension: What you’ll get – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).  There is also a useful link that you can use to check your State pension forecast, please see Check your State Pension forecast – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Don’t Forget to Apply

Before I started working as a Welfare Benefits Adviser, I assumed that State Pension is awarded automatically once the person reaches State pension age.  However, this is not the case and you do have to apply for your State Pension.  I do come across people who have not done this and have been missing out.  You will normally receive an invitation letter abut 2 months before you reach State pension age.  Please see The new State Pension: How to claim – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  it has a link where you can apply online and there is also a form that you can download.  If you do not have internet access you can call The Pension Service on 0800 731 7898.

Important News  For Woman Already In Receipt Of State Pension

It was recently announced that many women may have been underpaid their State Pensions.  Please see Women owed £3bn in underpaid state pension – Which? News.  The article goes on to say that the main groups of women who should contact the DWP now are as follows;

“Six groups that should take action now Six groups have been identified by LCP who may want to contact the DWP to get their state pension payments reviewed: Married women whose husband turned 65 before 17 March 2008 If you never claimed an uplift to the 60% rate (currently £80.45 per week in basic pension), you could be missing out. Widows whose pension was not increased when their husband died This group can potentially receive a 100% basic state pension of £134.25 per week, plus a percentage of their late husband’s additional state pension. Widows whose pension is now correct, but who think they may have been underpaid while their late husband was still alive This is especially important if your late husband reached 65 after 17 March 2008. Over-80s Who are receiving a basic pension of less than £80.45, provided that they satisfied a basic residence test when they turned 80. Widowers and heirs of married women Where the woman has now died, but who was underpaid state pension during her life, especially where her husband turned 65 after 17 March 2008. Divorced women (particularly those who divorced post-retirement) You should check that you’re benefiting from the contributions of your ex-husband.

Read more: https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/03/women-owed-3bn-in-underpaid-state-pension-are-you-eligible-to-claim/ – Which? “