Your partner’s National Insurance record and your State Pension: Information based on your answers

You might be able to increase your State Pension depending on when you reach State Pension age.

You reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016

You may be able to increase your basic State Pension up to £169.50 a week if:

your own basic State Pension is less than £169.50 a week
your former spouse or civil partner had enough National Insurance contributions

If your former spouse or civil partner reached or will reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, only their National Insurance contributions up to 5 April 2016 can be used.

You won’t have received this increase if you were divorced or your civil partnership was dissolved and you remarried or formed a new civil partnership before you reached State Pension age.

You reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016

Your State Pension will normally be based on your own National Insurance contributions only.

Your State Pension may be worked out in a different way if 1 of the following applied before 1977:

you paid National Insurance contributions at a reduced rate
you chose not to pay Class 2 contributions if you were self-employed

This is also known as the married women’s reduced rate election (also known as the Married Woman’s Stamp).

Your State Pension may be higher if the reduced rate election applies to you.

The reduced rate election must have applied to you at some point within the 35 years before you reached State Pension age (not including the year you reach State Pension age). These must be tax years.

Example

You’ll reach State Pension age on 6 March 2025. This is in the tax year 6 April 2024 to 5 April 2025.

You got married in 1975 and chose to pay National Insurance contributions at a reduced rate.

Your State Pension will be worked out differently if your reduced rate election still applied to you in 1989.

What you may get if you have a reduced rate election

You won’t need to have the usual minimum of 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get a State Pension.

You’ll get a pension of about £169.50 a week plus any Additional State Pension and Graduated Retirement Benefit you built up before 6 April 2016.

£169.50 is the maximum rate of basic State Pension a divorced person who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 can get through their spouse or civil partner’s National Insurance record.

You’ll get this when you’re divorced or when you claim your State Pension, if later.

You’ll get more if your State Pension is higher under your own National Insurance contributions.

If you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age

You’ll get a pension of about £101.55 a week plus any Additional State Pension and Graduated Retirement Benefit you built up before 6 April 2016.

You’ll get this when either you or your new spouse or civil partner reach State Pension age, whichever is later.

If your new spouse or civil partner reaches State Pension age after you, you’ll get your State Pension based on your own National Insurance contributions until they reach State Pension age.

£101.55 is the maximum rate of basic State Pension a married person or civil partner who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 can get through their spouse or civil partner’s National Insurance record.

If your State Pension is higher under your own National Insurance contributions, you’ll get that instead.

Shared additional State Pension or Protected Payment

The courts may decide to award you a share of your former spouse or civil partner’s Additional State Pension if one of the following applies:

they reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016
they reached, or will reach, State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 and divorce or dissolution proceedings began before 6 April 2016.

The courts may decide to award you a share of your former spouse or civil partner’s Protected Payment if both the following apply:

they reached, or will reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016
divorce or dissolution proceedings began on or after 6 April 2016.

Increase your retirement income

You might be able to increase your State Pension amount if:

you’re eligible for National Insurance credits
you make voluntary National Insurance contributions
you choose to defer your State Pension

You can also contribute to workplace pension and personal or private pensions.

Contact the Pension Service for help and advice.