State Pension age in 10 days

Are you signed up for Government Gateway?

www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

If you set up a Government Gateway your forecast is on there, although I’m not sure if the payment date will be.

Sorry, crossed post.

Your "payday" depends on the last two digits of your NI number. You won't be paid from the day of your 66th birthday. You will then be paid in arrears, so your first payment won't be a full one. You'll then be paid the full amount every four weeks on the same day of the week.

www.saga.co.uk/magazine/money/retirement/pensions/state-pension-when-will-i-be-paid

NotAGran55

Sorry, crossed post.

Better to say it twice

Yes and it’s says the full amount £185…. but not guaranteed, I want it in writing with my pay dates

Thank you looks like my payday will be a Wednesday

Buttercup19

Yes and it’s says the full amount £185…. but not guaranteed, I want it in writing with my pay dates

But it's online. Why do you want it in writing? If it says you'll get the full amount, that's what you'll get.

You can check online that your contributions record is up-to-date. If it is, you'll get the maximum amount for your number of years of contributions.

But it says not guaranteed, hence I want it in writing and my pay dates. My friend is 66 a week after me and has all her information and will be paid on the 29th 3 days after her birthday.

growstuff

You can check online that your contributions record is up-to-date. If it is, you'll get the maximum amount for your number of years of contributions.

I’ve checked and I have 42 full years with some gaps so hoping I’ll get full amount.

You need to check your gaps and count how many full years you have. Your pension will be based on full years. Even if you only have one week missing in a particular year, you won't get credit for that year. Check your gaps! Then work out whether it's worth paying for them.

Any paper notification will just repeat what's online.

FWIW I have 47 years of full contributions, but don't get the full amount because I was opted out for some years.

I'm getting my state pension now, so I can't remember exactly what the dashboard says, but the forecast on there was exactly what I received. It said it wasn't guaranteed (or something like that) right up to the time of my 66th birthday. I guess it was in case I decided not to pay the last contribution or something.

I also seem to remember that I was sent a letter saying when my first payday would be a few days before my 66th birthday, but again it wasn't news. It was what I was expecting. If you've responded to any requests for ID, you'll get your pension on time.

Thank you but I think it’s too late for me to pay to give me full years as I’m 66 in 10 days, I’ve not been asked for ID yet it just so stressful and the postal strikes aren’t helping with late deliveries. Thank you for your advice I think I’m going to have to try and forget about and hope a letter comes soon 🤞🤞

I believe you can fill in gaps in your NI record for six years from the year they should have been paid.

From memory, the dashboard says something like:

You have xx years of full contributions. This is a bit misleading because it doesn't take into account any years you might have paid into an occupational pension.

There are two figures. One is your forecast if you continue to pay contributions until your 66th birthday. The other is how much you'd receive if you stopped paying contributions today. That's why the forecast isn't guaranteed.

I also seem to remember I was asked for some ID and evidence of my divorce. If this information hasn't been requested, it would be worth ringing them and asking whether they have all the information they need. You could probably ask at the same time when the first payment will be made.

I’ve just remembered they did ask me for bank details when I completed the online form in August and they have acknowledged and given me details of how much I will get from my late husbands additional state pension so I must be in the system so I’ll have to be patient I suppose and wait for a letter or get a surprise in my bank when the first payment is made.

I just thought I’d update my post, a week before my birthday (19/12) I had to speak to the pensions dept regarding a relative and the very informative man told me my claim was processed on the 7/12 so it was only done when I’d been ringing and not from my online claim in August when I received my letter, so if your pension is due I would ensure you are in the system. He also told me how much I would be receiving, I received a part payment 2 days after my birthday and received a letter a few days ago telling me when I get my next payment etc
Thanks for all your advice

"Buttercup19" If you had done nothing though, wouldn't you still have had the same outcome? Your pension amount was on-line and you saw it and it was probably processed on 7th December at the correct time and not because you had rung them up. Everything was fine and naturally you were concerned it wouldn't be but being on-line was really all the assurance you needed. With Postal Strikes mail is very unreliable anyway, having the same info on-line is much better.

Sorry should read Buttercup19

The amount online was incorrect as I also got a % of my late husbands pension, hence needing the clarification.

Buttercup I hope you will get more of a % from your late husband's NI contributions. As I have been told I will get 43p as my husband died in 2004 and paid in a full 30 years contributions . I asked why so little and was told he should have paid more years but I said he died . They didn't care. My husband paid in a lot from when he was 17 as he had a high salary not his fault he died aged 47.

I get 50% of his additional state pension which equates to £6.14 per week, it’s disgusting as he worked all his life and only got 4 years of his state pension!!

Yes Buttercup19 it is disgusting.

Buttercup19

I get 50% of his additional state pension which equates to £6.14 per week, it’s disgusting as he worked all his life and only got 4 years of his state pension!!

It isn't disgusting. It's how it works. Annoying, sad, irritating, yes but disgusting it is not. The reason some people (mainly women) can go on getting pension for many years is because others do not go on collecting them. All pensions work in this way.

You say you can claim Pension Credit (you say you cannot in your OP). If you are eligible you will get it whichever Pension (Old or New) you are getting. If your are not eligible you will not. If you are very close to the Pension Credit level there are other benefits you can claim and may get them in part or whole.