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Additional State Pension

The amount of additional State Pension you may get at your State Pension age could be different to the estimate shown in your forecast.

Why could it be different?

On 6 April 2023 contracting out into a defined contribution scheme was abolished.

On that date, you were brought back into the additional State Pension if you are a member of:

• a defined contribution workplace scheme (sometimes known as an occupational or company pension scheme) that was contracted out before 6 April 2023
• a personal or stakeholder pension scheme that was contracted out before 6 April 2023

If you joined the additional State Pension on 6 April 2023 due to this change, your State Pension forecast won’t show the effect of the change.

How this change may affect the estimate of your additional State Pension

In your State Pension forecast you are given two figures for your estimated additional State Pension.

The change does not affect the first of these figures – the additional State Pension that’s based on your National Insurance contributions record to date.

However, it may affect the second figure – the additional State Pension you may get at State Pension age. The figure shown does not include any extra additional State Pension you may get from 6 April 2023 because you are no longer contracted out.

If you are contracted out on a salary-related basis you are not affected by this change.

Find out more about ‘Additional State Pension’ on the following link.

• Additional State Pension

Home Responsibilities Protection – what is it?

Home Responsibilities Protection protected your right to State Pension if you were receiving certain benefits and you were caring for one of the following:

• a child
• a person who was sick
• a person who was disabled

Home Responsibilities Protection has been replaced by credits for people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010.

See ‘Caring and your pension’ to find out more about credits for carers.

See ‘State Pensions for parents’ to find out more about credits for parents.

• Home Responsibilities Protection

• Caring and your pension

• State Pensions for parents

Spouse or partner’s State Pension entitlements

If your spouse or partner has not reached State Pension age, they should apply for a State Pension forecast or State Pension statement in their own right. If they have already reached State Pension age and do not receive their State Pension they should contact The Pension Service.

• Calculating your State Pension age

• Who to contact at The Pension Service

Contracting out of the additional State Pension

Contracting out means you have joined a company, stakeholder or personal pension that can replace all, or part, of the additional State Pension.

If there is a contracted out deduction on your forecast you can find out more by contacting HM Revenue & Customs (HRMC).

• Contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)

• Contracting out of the additional State Pension

More help understanding your State Pension forecast

If you need further help understanding your forecast there is a guide that you can download.

• Download 'State Pension forecast (BR19L)' (PDF, 134K)

• Help with PDF files

Contact the Future Pension Centre

If you have further questions about the content of your forecast then contact the Future Pension Centre.

• Future Pension Centre

National Insurance

For more information about how National Insurance contributions affect your State Pension forecast see the following page.

• National Insurance and your State Pension forecast

More useful links

• Getting a State Pension forecast

• State Pension statement

• National Insurance and your State Pension forecast