Guide to the state pension

A Simple Guide To The State Pension

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What will I receive from the government once I retire?

A question that a lot of people ask but don’t know the full answer to. We aim to provide a guide to the state pension that answers any questions you may have about your state pension. At the end of the day, paying national insurance on your earnings is meant to give you a healthy state pension at retirement.

For millions of retired people in the United Kingdom, the State Pension is a vital source of income. However, because the system might be complicated, it’s critical that you understand how it operates. Your State Pension is a fantastic place to start if you want to maximise your retirement income.

It’s well worth contemplating topping up if you’re not getting the entire amount or aren’t on pace for it. Because the government effectively subsidises the cost of doing so, it can be excellent value for money. Your State Pension amount is determined by your record of National Insurance Contributions (NICs). You will not receive a full State Pension if you have not made appropriate contributions. Even if you’ve already retired, you may be able to make voluntary contributions to increase the amount you get.

A guide to the full basic state pension’s worth

The entire Basic State Pension is currently £137.60 per week in the 2021/22 tax year. You may be entitled to increase your Basic State Pension or inherit some of your spouse’s or registered civil partner’s State Pension when they pass away. If you are married or in a registered civil partnership and are not receiving a Basic State Pension or are not receiving the full amount (£82.45 per week), you may be eligible for up to £82.45 per week.

You must have paid or been credited with National Insurance contributions in order to get the basic State Pension. If you were born before April 6, 1951, or before April 6, 1953, you are eligible for the basic State Pension. If you were born afterwards, you must instead apply for the New State Pension. Separating these two pensions is quite key to our guide to the state pension.

What is the new state pension?

The New State Pension replaces the previous Basic and Second State Pension systems. If you were born on or after April 6, 1951, or on or after April 6, 1953, you will be eligible for the New State Pension. When you reach the age of State Pension eligibility, you can begin receiving the New State Pension. If you attained State Pension age before April 6, 2016, you will continue to receive the old rules’ State Pension. In the 2021/22 tax year, the entire New State Pension is £179.60 a week, resulting in an annual income of £9,339.20. The amount you receive will be determined on your National Insurance history.

People who turned 65 on April 6, 2016, can receive both their accrued basic and second pension rights under the previous regulations and their New State Pension entitlement under the new system. Individuals will be able to claim under either the old or new State Pension rules, but not both. If your State Pension age is before 6 April 2016, you will be able to claim under the old rules. If your State Pension age is after 5 April 2016, you will be able to claim under the new regulations. This difference is quite key to our guide to the state pension.

Checking your state pension entitlement

You may verify your eligibility for the State Pension as well as your age by getting a State Pension projection. A State Pension projection may tell you how much State Pension you’ll get, when you’ll get it, and how to enhance it. You may be able to enhance it by adding to your National Insurance record. Another possibility is to continue to work and make National Insurance contributions until you reach pension age.

You may also apply for National Insurance credits, which will help you fill in any gaps in your record. You may also achieve this by donating your time and money. The amount you’re expected to get is based on the assumption that you accrue the maximum number of National Insurance credits in the years leading up to your State Pension age. You may verify the amount of your State Pension claim online if you have a Government Gateway account and fill out form BR19 from the GOV.UK website.

Will my state pension be enough?

That all depends on your own personal circumstance. Each part of the UK has different cost’s of living and therefore, people have different budgets. It’s impossible to compare someone retiring in London to someone retiring in Newcastle. Every single person’s financial situation is different and requires varying degrees of advice. That’s where our independent financial advisor Tony is on hand to assist you. At the end of the day this is only a guide to the state pension. It’s not tailored advice to you.

With over thirty five years experience in the industry, there is little he hasn’t seen. He can help you to plan your retirement and assist you to have a proper plan in place. It’s definitely worth a conversation to secure your retirement future. Call him on 01342 324171 or simply fill out a contact form and he will be in touch.

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Tony Hollom
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