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How to get and claim your State Pension, State Pension age - for men born on or after 6 April 1951 and women born on or after 6 April 1953.

• Eligibility

  You’ll be able to claim the new State Pension when you reach State Pension…

• What you'll get

  Your State Pension amount depends on your National Insurance record. Check…

• How to claim

  You will not get your new State Pension automatically - you have to claim…

• When you're paid

  After you’ve claimed your State Pension you’ll get a letter about your…

• How to increase your retirement income

  You can get advice from an independent financial adviser if you want more…

• Inheriting or increasing State Pension from a spouse or civil partner

  You might be able to inherit an extra payment on top of your new State…

• Living and working overseas

  If you live or work in another country, you might be able to contribute…

How to claim the basic State Pension and how it's calculated - for men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953.

• Who gets the basic State Pension

  Everyone eligible for the basic State Pension has now reached State…

• How much you get

  How much basic State Pension you get depends on your National Insurance…

• When you're paid

  The basic State Pension is usually paid every 4 weeks into an account of…

• Claim a delayed (deferred) State Pension

  You can claim your delayed State Pension by either: calling the State…

• Increasing or inheriting State Pension from your spouse or civil partner

  You may be able to: increase your basic State Pension through your spouse…

Find out how much State Pension you could get (your forecast), when you could get it and how you could increase it

What you need to do to get your State Pension online.

Work out your State Pension age and Pension Credit qualifying age

Additional State Pension, also known as the State Second Pension or SERPS, is extra money on top of your basic State Pension.

Contact the Pension Service about State Pension eligibility, claims, payments and complaints, and to update your details (such as your address or bank details)

Calculating State Pension, Pension Credit, eligibility, claiming and deferring

• Updated: 21 December 2022

• Updated: 8 April 2024

Taking up your State Pension later - what you'll get, how to defer, extra State Pension and lump sum payment.

Check if you were contracted out of the Additional State Pension and what it means for your State Pension

You may be able to increase your State Pension based on the National Insurance record

How to claim State Pension if you're overseas - payment, tax, change of circumstances - contact the International Pension Centre

International Pension Centre contact details for pension enquiries if you've lived or worked abroad

If you cannot use the online service to get a State Pension forecast, you can do it by post using this application form. Fill it in and post it to us.

Working while taking your pension, State Pension age, retirement age, how long you can work, tax and national insurance, flexible working, discrimination

Find out if you've paid enough National Insurance to qualify for the full State Pension - check gaps, contributions and credits, get a National Insurance statement, call the helpline.

Print or request a claim form to claim the basic State Pension by post.

Information to help people understand the State Pension and the changes from 6 April 2016.

• Updated: 6 April 2017

Guidance to help people understand the changes to the State Pension from 6 April 2016.

• Updated: 8 April 2024