The UK pension age has changed for all UK nationals who were born in the 1950s. For women this means that if you were born before 1953, or men born previous to the 1951, you need to check out your entitlement. The established age of retirement for women was always 60 and for men, the age was 65. It’s a worrying trend that the government are pulling the reins in and extending the working life of people reaching their twilight years meaning that they cannot claim their pension until later than anticipated.
To get a forecast, you can either contact Social Security at Newcastle direct, or get an estimation using their calculator online, which establishes how long you may have to wait before being entitled to your state pension. A state pension profiler can be filled in online, which will help you to establish how much you may be entitled to, but there is another valuable tool on the government website which allows you to establish at what date you will be entitled to draw that money as a pension.
How the profiler works is by using a form filled in online to give you information about how many years of contributions you have made toward your pension. This is a handy place for those with a shortfall in contributions, since it also explains how you can start to make up for that shortfall in an attempt to increase what you will be entitled to at pension age.
The website states that the profiler can be used as a general guide, but that it may not be accurate in all cases, since these vary and particular detail concerning National Insurance Contributions may not be covered in complex cases. They also give a disclaimer that the information you gain is based on current law in the United Kingdom and that it relies upon the accuracy of the information given when filling out the form. Thus, if mistakes are made, it is likely that the results given will be erroneous and should be checked by contacting the Social Security Pension department at Newcastle.
The basic pension at this time is one hundred and two pounds fifteen pence, though of course, the amount that the individual gets may vary from this amount, based on the contributions made, and individual cases and qualifications.
The choice is given to all applicants for State Pensions to defer getting their pension. This is encouraged by offering those that do defer their pension lump sum payments at a later date, as well as the basic state pension. The state pension profiler tells you how many years’ contributions you have made, thus showing in clear detail the shortfall that you may have toward getting a full state pension.
Parents and carers may be entitled to more than the basic state pension depending upon circumstance, and those who have been receiving certain benefits will have their contributions to National Insurance credits paid during the course of their invalidity or appropriate benefits.
To find out the age at which you can claim your state pension, you need to use the online calculator. You will be asked for information which is simple to provide, such as date of birth and whether you are male or female. Grouped easily into sex and age, the calculator is used to estimate the date at which you are entitled to that state pension. Do back this up with making a claim for that pension in the event of the date having changed, and keep in touch with Social Security in the three month period prior to the state pension becoming due, to avoid delays. If your pension date is passed without you being informed of your oncoming pension date, it will be worthwhile getting in touch with the Pensions Department in Newcastle to find out why any further delay has happened.
The new laws concerning pension age extend the working life of UK citizens and are likely to be reviewed again at a future date. Speculation on news stories leaves the public concerned about how quickly they can expect their pensions, though the website is quite clear to use, and a telephone call to Newcastle can also reassure those with any questions. It’s worthwhile having your National Insurance number ready when you do call, so that your information can be traced easily. Their telephone number is 0044 191 225 7180.