State pension letter

I’m still waiting, I know how much as I check online, the pertinent birthday was at the beginning of March, it’s the when I’m waiting for.

They pay it a month in arrears.

Hang on in there, it will come. Why do people tell friends their business?

As far as I remember, I had a letter 6 months before I was eligible inviting me to apply for the State Pension. It is not automatically sent to you..

I applied online. This was 4 years ago.

Ours have just arrived. I was wondering whether to start a thread because I'm once again exasperated about amounts.
I worked all my life apart from one year when my twins were born. I always paid the requisite national insurance and, despite having paid enough years of contributions, I even topped up the amount, as requested by the DHSS, before my pension finally got paid.

The result? I get £165.36, he gets £187.05 which includes £7.45 extra. Neither of us understands why he gets more. I am additionally, of course, one of the cheated generation of the early 1950s cohort. Makes me furious.

You won’t automatically get your State Pension, you have to apply for it.

Has he paid serps for a while when working? That made a difference to us initially but that element of DH’s pension has never increased.

Oopsadaisy1

You won’t automatically get your State Pension, you have to apply for it.

I know! However they are supposed to send letters out to everyone who are about to reach the age to let you know how to apply!

I haven’t had a letter.... neither did my husband.

Maybe get in touch with them? I think I had a reminder a few months before it was due.

I get the old state pension, which is about £130 per week. You had to have 39 years of contributions to get it, I was one short! But I did get it at sixty. Men had to have 44 years of contributions - seems a bit unfair!
I believe the new state pension requires only 35 years of contributions, and is a higher amount, but you do get it later! It’s confusing. I remember getting a pension forecast quite a while in advance so you could top up with voluntary contributions if you wanted to.

It seems that letters are not always sent out to remind people to apply for their state pension. This has happened to a couple of friends. Also if you do forget to apply it is only backdated to a few months so you can lose out. So I’m drawing a big red circle on the calendar a couple of months before hand to remind me to apply! Women born in their fifties have already lost so much in pension payments.

Also if you do forget to apply it is only backdated to a few months so you can lose out.

This is not correct, you will not lose out. Once you've reached state retirement age, you don't have to claim it straight away if you don't want to. For every 9 weeks that you don't claim it, your state pension will increase by the equivalent of 1%. This is known as a deferred claim. If you leave claiming your state pension for 52 weeks, your pension can increase by 5.8%.

I do wish people didn't scaremonger.

This has actually happened to a friend of mine so I am not scaremongering. Why do you have to be so unkind, you’ve really upset me and I was feeling bad enough anyway so thanks.

I got a letter last May. I was 66y in August last. The letter did not tell me any amounts. I rang the DWP and a lovely Yorkshire lady guided me through the process. ‘Rightpet, just confirm ...’ this that and the other. I asked her if she could tell me how much I’d be getting. She told me the amount and said it would go into my bank every four weeks. So you’ll get 13 pensions per year OP. Enjoy it! It’s wonderful.

I received a letter in February advising me I would get mine on my 66th birthday in May and asked for my bank details.
I went online, filled in my bank details and was informed by letter, that the first amount would be £27, as it is paid in arrears.
However, I had already checked my pension forecast and would have contacted the appropriate people, if no letter had been received.

You can also go into the Government Gateway site, if you don't receive a letter.

Gwyneth, Chewbacca wasn't being unkind, just stating the accurate facts.
People need to be proactive, not sit back and wait for someone to get in touch.

I should have said that after that initial payment of £27, I would then get the full four weekly pension amount.

jilljosie your DH could be getting more than you because he was earning more than you and paid SERPS on his higher income.

Compare the calculations for both of your pensions, they can be made up of all kinds of other payments as well as the basic pension

Thanks marydoll obviously I apologise for being stupid and for my friend who clearly has made this up. I have decided to leave the site as a result. I’ve received some bad news today and thought that reading threads and posting would help distract me. Obviously it was a mistake.

Marydoll Chewbaccas post was informative, and I know about deffering my pension, however it I think it was the last sentence about scaremongering that upset Gwyneth.
Not everyone knows about these things that is why the OP asked the question.

The info from the DWP is quite clear:

You will not get your new State Pension automatically - you have to claim it. You should get a letter no later than 2 months before you reach State Pension age, telling you what to do.

If you have not received an invitation letter, but you are within 4 months of reaching your State Pension age you can still make a claim.

The quickest way to get your State Pension is to apply online.

DWP

I received my pension last September - I applied online; after waiting an extra 6 years I wasn't about to wait for an 'invitation'.

Gwynth, no-one has accused you of being stupid and no-one intended to offend you. I'm sure Chewy won't mind me saying that in her defense, she has first hand knowledge of deferring state pension.

You are obviously feeling fragile today and I'm sorry you have had bad news, many on here, myself included, are struggling today. However, there is absolutely no need to leave the site because of a couple of responses to your post.
I hope things improve for you soon.

Gwyneth sorry you had bad news, dont leave, I think you may just be very sensitive at the moment.
I did not agree with Marydolls last paragraph I thought it was unnecessary, but she is not spiteful, and I am sure she would not want to cause you any upset.

I had my letter advising me to apply a while ago and have had a Gateway login for a couple of years, I’ll patiently await the payment date.

Once you've reached state retirement age, you don't have to claim it straight away if you don't want to

Chewbacca as far as I'm aware, when you receive the invitation letter you have to let the DWP know your intentions i.e. whether to defer or to claim.