Early retirement, your pension and benefits

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Benefits

The amount of money you get from any income-related benefits could be affected if you take your pension early, such as money you get from:

  • Housing Benefit
  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Pension Credit
  • Universal Credit

Benefits if you retire early because of ill health

If you retire early because of ill health you may be entitled to other benefits. Use a benefits calculator to check.

Get help

If you want to know more about how taking early retirement can affect your benefits, you can get help from:

  1. Step 1 Check when you can retire

  2. and Check how much pension you could get

  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

  5. Step 4 Decide when to retire