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State Pension
Please note: as an older person, finding out which benefits you may be entitled to, and the impact they may have on other benefits, is not always straightforward. There is a huge amount of information available about benefits, but this can be overwhelming or confusing. We would always advise you to seek advice from an independent Welfare Rights Officer, who will be able to look at your individual situation and guide you through the applications process.
You can find details of local and citywide organisations that provide independent and free benefits advice on the Newcastle City Council website.
Your entitlement to a basic State Pension is built up over your working life. It is based on your number of 'qualifying years', which are tax years in which you have paid, or been credited with, sufficient National Insurance (NI) contributions.
Currently, the State Pension age for men is 65. On 6 April 2010, the State Pension age for women started to increase gradually from 60 to 65, to match that of men. This affects women born on or after 6 April 1950.
Under the Pensions Act 2011 women’s State Pension age will increase more quickly to 65 between April 2016 and November 2018. From December 2018 the State Pension age for both men and women will start to increase to reach 66 in October 2020. These changes affect women born on or after 6 April 1953 and men born on or after 6 December 1953.
You can calculate your State Pension age and see the timetable for the proposed changes on the Directgov website.
If you have not always worked, you may still be entitled to National Insurance credits. For example, if you receive Carer's Allowance, you will normally get a National Insurance contribution credited to your account for each week that you receive it (unless you are a woman who has chosen to pay reduced rate contributions).
If you don't have enough National Insurance contributions, you may get a reduced pension or you may not get one at all.
A married woman can claim a pension on her husband's contributions, but may not get this if she also has a pension based on her own contributions. Divorced or widowed people may be able to use their former spouse's record to get a pension, or to increase their pension.
For further information, including the current rates and how to claim, visit the State Pension section of the Directgov website.
You can put off drawing your pension for as long as you want to in order to receive a lump sum or an increased pension. For further information, visit the State Pension deferral section of the Directgov website.
You can talk to someone about all of the benefits you may be entitled to at an independent advice service. You can find your local advice service n the Newcastle City Council website.
Pension forecast
As you approach state pension age, it will be useful to know whether you have paid enough National Insurance contributions to get a full state pension. If not, you may be able to make voluntary contributions to increase your pension.
You may receive credits towards your pension if you have been getting Jobseeker's Allowance, or if you can't work because you are sick or disabled, or if you get Carer's Allowance. Some people will get Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) to protect the contribution record of people caring for a child or sick or disabled person. HRP is given automatically in most cases, but sometimes it has to be claimed. It is important to check whether you need to make a claim.
For information on how to get a pension forecast, visit the Directgov website.
Other useful information
Age UK's factsheet on State Pension
Contact Information
Newcastle Welfare Rights Service
Brian Roycroft Centre, The Shopping Centre, Newbiggin Hall Estate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE5 4BR.
Telephone : 0191 277 2633.
Article last updated January 2, 2012 9:02 pm
