Contracted out of the Additional State Pension
What contracting out was
Under the State Pension rules before 2016, you or your workplace or private pension scheme could choose to ‘contract out’ of the Additional State Pension. The Additional State Pension was also known as State Second Pension or ‘SERPs’.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg)
If you were contracted out of the Additional State Pension, some of your National Insurance contributions were either:
- lower than people who were not contracted out
- paid into another pension, for example a workplace or private pension
Check how contracting out affects your amount.
All contracting out stopped on 5 April 2016. After this, all National Insurance contributions are at the standard rate until you reach State Pension age.