What is the basic State Pension? How much could I get? Do I need to have paid National Insurance? If you are State Pension age or above, you could be eligible to claim the basic scheme. Additionally, if you have a partner or late partner, you could increase how much you receive. Your Benefits will tell you everything you need to know about basic State Pension.
What is basic State Pension?
Basic State Pension is the basic version of the State Pension scheme. What this means is that it is the ‘old’ version of the scheme. In fact, there now exists a ‘new’ State Pension.
You may want to claim the basic scheme. For this to be the case, you need to have made National Insurance contributions, or received National Insurance credits.
Your eligibility for this scheme depends on your date of birth. Indeed, if you were born before a certain date, you will get the basic scheme. If you were born after a certain date, you will get the new scheme.
Those eligible for the basic scheme need to claim it. In fact, they may do so by post or by phone. You will not receive this benefit automatically, if you do not file a claim for it.
You can claim State Pension, but you do not have to. In fact, you can claim other types of pension. This includes things like Personal Pensions and Self-Invested Personal Pensions. These can allow for more flexibility on how you can use and invest money in your pension pot.
Additionally, beware of pension scams. In fact, many scams will try to take your pension pot money. These can sometimes even be convincing, as they have websites that go along with their claims of providing a legitimate service.
To check if the pension provider contacting you is a scam or not, check if they are registered with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Providers need to be registered with them. If that is not the case for the one contacting you, it’s likely that they are a scam.
How much is the basic State Pension?
The full amount of the basic scheme you can receive is £141.85 weekly. If you do not receive this amount, you could still increase how much you receive. Additionally, you could inherit some of the schemes from your partner.
Otherwise, you could be able to inherit basic State Pension. This can be the case if you had a civil partner or were married, and your partner received basic State Pension. Additionally, one of two things need to apply. You have to either not qualify for the scheme, or get less than £141.85 weekly with it.
If you receive the basic scheme, you could also be eligible for other benefits. Then, Your Benefits can help. In fact, we provide a multitude of articles about benefits that you could claim. Additionally, we offer articles on important concepts linked with getting benefits. Many are linked within even this article.
Furthermore, you could be eligible for many benefits which you are not claiming. Then, Your Benefits can help, again! We offer a free simulator, which can show all the financial aid you are entitled to. This will allow you to see payments you could be missing out on. And again, it’s completely free.
How can I claim basic State Pension?
Unlike new State Pension, you need to claim the basic State Pension. You can phone the State Pension claim line. You can find the claim form online, fill it out and send it by post. However, if you live outside the United Kingdom, there is a different process as well.
If you want to apply by post, you need the State Pension claim form. More specifically, this is called the ‘Born before 6 April in 1951 (men) or 1953 (women): State Pension claim form’. You can find it on the Gov.UK website.
Then, you can fill out the form. After this, you will need to send it to your local pension centre. You can find the address of your local pension centre on the Gov.UK website.
Am I eligible for the basic State Pension?
Whether you qualify for the basic or new State Pension depends on when you were born. Additionally, it depends on your gender. More specifically, here is what you are eligible for depending on your date of birth:
| Version of State Pension you will receive depending on your gender and date of birth in 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | Gender | Version of the scheme |
| Before 6 April 1951 | Men | Basic scheme |
| On or after 6 April 1951 | Men | New scheme |
| Before 6 April 1953 | Women | Basic scheme |
| On or after 6 April 1953 | Women | New scheme |
If you are eligible for the new State Pension, you will have to claim it instead of the basic scheme. The amounts that you receive are different in these two schemes.
What this means is that some things need to have applied to you. More specifically, for 30 years, you did one of the following, or multiple:
- Made voluntary National Insurance contributions;
- Received National Insurance credits (this could have been the case if you were in certain situations, like a carer, without work, sick or taking care of a child);
- You had a job and made National Insurance contributions.
If you made enough contributions, you should be able to receive the full weekly amount. However, if you did not make enough contributions, you should be able to make voluntary National Insurance contributions.
What if I am a woman born prior to 1950, or man born prior to 1945?
You could be a woman born prior to 1950. Otherwise, you could be a man born prior to 1950. In this case, there are certain things you need in order to receive the full amount of basic State Pension. In fact, you must have more than 30 qualifying years of National Insurance contribution to get the full rate.
Additionally, to receive any amount of the basic scheme, you need to have at least the lowest number of qualifying years. Typically, this is 10 years for women born prior to 1950. For men born prior to 1945, this is typically 11 years.
Can I increase or inherit my basic State Pension?
You could be able to inherit basic SP from your partner. If you are in a civil partnership or married, you could even increase how much of the basic scheme you receive.
More specifically, you could receive more basic State Pension thanks to your partner. However, one of two things need to be true. In fact, you need to not qualify for the basic scheme. Otherwise, you need to get below £85 weekly with your basic scheme.
If you are able to increase how much State Pension you receive through your partner or late partner. You can call them on 0800 731 0469. Otherwise, you may contact them by post at the following address:
The Pension Service
Post Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1AF
What if I am transgender?
You may be transgender. What this means is that your gender assigned at birth is not the same as your current gender. Then, you have some different rules for your eligibility to the basic State Pension.
The two conditions above are necessary. However, there is a third condition. You need to have had gender reassignment surgery. Furthermore, you must show proof that such surgery took place prior to 4 April 2005.
Note that you may be socially transitioning, but have not yet legally transitioned. Then, you may still have to receive the State Pension linked with your assigned gender. If you physically transitioned after 4 April 2005, you could be eligible to claim the new scheme instead of the basic one.
What else should I know?
There is a pension calculator on Gov.UK. You could get additional state pension, but not through a registered charity, registered in england and wales. Full state pension is what you may get once you reach state pension age. The starting amount to pay national insurance didn’t start on april 2016. The government website is not maintained by a company limited by guarantee.
