The State Pension is a regular payment you can receive when you reach State Pension age. It is based on your National Insurance contributions and how much you get varies.

 The State Pension is made up of two parts, the basic State Pension and the additional State Pension. Different people get different amounts of each.

 The amount of State Pension you get depends on how many qualifying years of National Insurance you have. To get the full basic State Pension, most people need to have 30 qualifying years. If you're missing any qualifying years, you may be able to make voluntary National Insurance contributions.

 You usually get qualifying years if you're:

• in paid full-time or part-time work
• self-employed
• caring for someone for over 20 hours a week
• getting Child Benefit
• receiving certain benefits
• in full-time training
   
  In 2012-13, a single person can get up to £107.45 a week basic State Pension, though some people get less than this. Many people get more than this amount, because they also get an additional State Pension.

 You may not become entitled to the additional State Pension based on contributions or credits during periods where one of the fllowing applies to you:

• you're self-employed (because you pay lower National Insurance contributions)
• you're unemployed
• you're in full-time training

For men born before 6 December 1953, the current State Pension age is 65.

For women born after 5 April 1950 but before 6 December 1953, their State Pension age is between 60 and 65.

Increase in State Pension age to 66

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.

 Please call our office on 07789758177 / 02082211165 and we will help you to find out if you are eligible to receive State Pension.