Delay (defer) your State Pension

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If you get benefits or tax credits

You cannot build up extra State Pension during any period you get:

  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit
  • Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (income-based)
  • Universal Credit
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • Carer Support Payment
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Widow’s Pension
  • Widowed Parent’s Allowance
  • Unemployability Supplement

You cannot build up extra State Pension during any period your partner gets:

  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit
  • Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (income-related)

You must tell the Pension Service if you’re on benefits and you want to defer.

You will need to defer for a minimum amount of time before your State Pension will start to increase. This will either be 9 or 5 weeks, depending on when you reach State Pension age. Time when you (or your partner) get these benefits does not count towards that time.

Higher weekly payments

Taking your extra State Pension as higher weekly payments could reduce the amount you get from:

  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit
  • Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (income-related)
  • Housing Benefit
  • Council Tax Reduction
  • tax credits

If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016

Your tax credits or Universal Credit payments may be reduced if you choose to take your extra State Pension as a lump sum.

Winter Fuel Payment

You need to claim Winter Fuel Payment if you’ve deferred your State Pension. You only need to do this once.

Get help

Contact Jobcentre Plus if you need help to understand how your benefits could be affected.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Part of Plan your retirement income: step by step

  1. Step 1 Check when you can retire

    1. Check what age you can get your State Pension
    2. Find out about working after you reach State Pension age
    3. Find out if you can retire early with your workplace or personal pension

  2. and Check how much pension you could get

    1. Find out how much State Pension you could get (your forecast)

    You may also be paying into a:

    1. Find out if you’ll pay tax on your pension
    2. Find contact details for a lost pension

  3. Step 2 Increase your pension

    You might be able to increase the amount you get if you delay your pension.

    1. Find out about delaying your pension

    You might be able to pay voluntary contributions to fill in gaps in your National Insurance record (such as, from when you were not working or claiming benefits).

    1. Check if you can pay voluntary National Insurance contributions

    For advice about increasing your workplace or private pension, speak to a financial adviser.

    1. Find a financial adviser through Unbiased

  4. Step 3 Check what other financial support you could get

    Check what financial help you could get if you:

    You can also get free bus travel if you:

  5. Step 4 Decide when to retire

    1. Get advice on planning your pension and deciding when to retire