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When can you get a basic State Pension?

State Pension age is the earliest you can get a basic State Pension. You have to claim it. You can also choose to put off claiming (defer) and take your State Pension later.

If you choose to defer you could get extra State Pension or a lump-sum payment as well as your State Pension when you do claim.

• State Pension deferral - taking up your State Pension later

Changes to State Pension age

The age you receive your State Pension could be changing. To find out if you are affected, see 'Calculating your State Pension age'

• Calculating your State Pension age

Will you get a basic State Pension?

You can get a basic State Pension by paying or being credited with enough National Insurance contributions (NICs) towards qualifying years before State Pension age.

In 2012-13, you need to have £5,564 or more of such earnings if:

• you're an employee
• you're paying National Insurance Contributions as a self-employed person

You can get an idea of how many qualifying years you have and what this means for you by using the State Pension profiler. This simple tool helps you estimate quickly how much basic State Pension you may become entitled based on your NICs to date. It will also tell you when you can get it. It will also help you see how you're affected by recent changes to the State Pension.

• State Pension profiler

How many qualifying years do you need?

The number of qualifying years you need for a full basic State Pension depends on your age and whether you're a man or a woman.

Men born before 6 April 2023 usually need 44 qualifying years.

Women born before 6 April 2023 usually need 39 qualifying years.

Men born on or after 6 April 2023 need 30 qualifying years.

Women born on or after 6 April 2023 need 30 qualifying years.

To find out more about the State Pension, you can download the leaflet 'State Pensions – Your guide'.

• Calculating your State Pension age

If you've been a parent or carer

If you reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2023 you may be able to get new National Insurance (NI) credits. These NI credits allow you to become entitled to the State Pension. You may be eligible for NI credits if you are:

• a parent with a dependent child under 12 years of age
• an approved foster carer
• caring for at least 20 hours per week for one or more severely disabled people

Up until 5 April 2010, many people who cared for others were eligible for Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). HRP helped protect your State Pension entitlement for years when you were not working or your earnings were low. If you reach State Pension age after 5 April 2010, you will receive NI credits rather than HRP.

The new NI credits replaced HRP from 6 April 2010. If you have years of HRP before 6 April 2023 then up to 22 of these years will have automatically been converted into NI credits. These NI credits will then count towards your basic State Pension.

• State Pensions for parents

• Caring and your pension (caring for someone section)

• Home Responsibilities Protection (money, tax and benefits section)

If you've been claiming benefit

You will automatically receive NI credits for the weeks you’ve been claiming the following benefits (if you have paid enough NICs):

• Carer’s Allowance
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Employment and Support Allowance

To find out more, contact the National Insurance Contributions Office.

• National Insurance Contributions Office

How much is the basic State Pension?

To find out how much basic State Pension you may get, see ‘State Pension and Pension Credit rate: how much can you get?’.

• State Pension and Pension Credit rate: How much can you get?

If you don't qualify for the full basic State Pension

If you reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2023

If you have some qualifying years but not enough for a full basic State Pension, then you will get some basic State Pension. For each qualifying year that you have built up, you will get some basic State Pension. You may be able to take action to increase your State Pension if you don't have enough qualifying years.

If you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2023

You’ll get a weekly basic State Pension between the minimum (£26.86 in 2012-13) and the maximum (£107.45 in 2012-13) if:

• you don’t qualify for the full basic State Pension
• you have 25 per cent or more of the qualifying years

If you have fewer than 25 per cent of the qualifying years, you'll not be entitled to any basic State Pension using your NICs record. However, you may be able to take action to increase your State Pension. Read ‘Do you need to top up your National Insurance contributions’ to find out more.

You may be able to get a 'non-contributory' or 'Over 80 Pension' if you're aged 80 or more and meet the residency conditions. This is £64.40 a week for 2012-13.

• The Over 80 Pension

• Do you need to top up your National Insurance contributions?

If you are or have been married or in a civil partnership

You may be entitled to some basic State Pension through the NICs record of either:

• your spouse or civil partner
• your former or late spouse or civil partner

• Changes to State Pension for married people and civil partners

Pension Credit

If you're a pensioner living in Great Britain, Pension Credit could top up your weekly income to a guaranteed minimum of:

• £142.70 if you are single
• £217.90 if you have a partner

The age from which you may get Pension Credit is changing. To find out more about Pension Credit see 'Pension Credit - an introduction'.

• Pension Credit - an introduction

Claiming your State Pension

Follow the link below for more on:

• claiming a basic State Pension
• how it’s paid
• putting off claiming until later

• Claiming the State Pension

Tell The Pension Service about a change in your circumstances

Find out what you need to report, such as a change of address or bank details.

• Report your change of address, bank details or other circumstances to The Pension Service

More useful links

• Just about to retire - what you need to do

• More about working part-time after you retire

• Order leaflets from The Pension Service online Opens new window

• Order accessible leaflets from The Pension Service