The State Pension

State Pension is now a single-tier pension.

You will be able to claim the new State Pension if you are:

  • a man born on or after 6 April 1951
  • a woman born on or after 6 April 1953

If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, you'll get the State Pension under the old rules instead.

State Pension age

The earliest you can get the new State Pension is when you reach the qualifying age.

The normal retirement age for a Local Government Pensions Scheme (LGPS) is based on your State Pension age.

What you will get

The amount of State Pension you will receive depends on your date of birth and  National Insurance (NI) contributions.

Claim your State Pension

You won't get your new State Pension automatically, you have to claim it. You should get a letter 4 months before your State Pension age, telling you what to do.

If you haven't got a letter 3 months before you reach State Pension age, call the Government claim line on: 0800 731 7898

How it's paid

It's usually paid every 4 weeks into an account of your choice.

Further Information

You can find out more on the new state pension through the Government's Pension Body.

Page last updated: 19/08/2021
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