UK pensions

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THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HAS BEEN TAKEN FROM THE UK GOVERNMENT WEBSITE WHICH PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT PENSIONS AND PENSIONER BENEFITS, FOR THOSE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE, ABOUT TO RETIRE OR ALREADY RETIRED.

You will find a link at the bottom of this page, to the UK government website www.thepensionservice.gov.uk

" The Pensions Act 2007 changed the rules governing State Pensions, including the qualifying conditions attached to them and age from which State Pensions are payable. Now that the Act has received Royal Assent the Pension Service is unable to provide Combined Pension Forecasts until its IT systems have been reprogrammed to reflect the new legislation. This process could take around twelve months to eighteen months.

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Although those individuals who reach State Pension age before 6 April 2010 are not affected by the changes we have decided to suspend the CPF service for everyone. This is because the IT system changes that would have been required from Royal Assent to differentiate between those who are affected by the changes and those who aren't would have been disproportionately expensive both for the DWP and its partners. Those unaffected by the reforms are free to request an Individual Pension Forecast or online Real Time Pension Forecast.

The Pension Service wants to minimise the administrative problems this causes to partners in the Combined Pension Forecasting service. Consequently The Pension Service is offering alternative options for this year’s benefit statement exercise until normal service can be resumed. For example, if schemes do not wish to make changes to their software, they could continue to send data files to the Pension Service but would receive a “nil coding” for each member. Flyers explaining the absence of State Pension projections would then be provided to enclose with members’ benefit statements.

The Pension Service’s Combined Pension Forecasting team has been in contact with participating schemes individually over the past weeks to discuss the options available to them and agree with each how they would like to proceed during the intervening period so as to minimise disruption to them. Any scheme that hasn't already been contacted will be approached in advance of their agreed time to exchange data this year.

You can get your State Pension when you reach State Pension age. The State Pension age is currently 65 for men and between 60 and 65 for women. However, the State Pension age for women is changing - it will rise gradually from age 60 to 65 from 2010 to 2020.

From 6 April 2020, the State Pension age for both men and women will be 65.

The state pension age for both men and women is to increase from 65 to 68 between 2024 and 2046, with each change phased in over two consecutive years in each decade. The first increase, from 65 to 66, will be phased in between April 2024 and April 2026; the second, from 66 to 67, will be phased in between April 2034 and April 2036; and the third, from 67 to 68, between April 2044 and April 2046.

[To find out your State Pension age put your date of birth in the calculator.](You can get your State Pension when you reach State Pension age. The State Pension age is currently 65 for men and between 60 and 65 for women. However, the State Pension age for women is changing - it will rise gradually from age 60 to 65 from 2010 to 2020.

From 6 April 2020, the State Pension age for both men and women will be 65.

Click here to look at your UK State Pension forecast and enter your date of birth in the calculator.