The Additional State Pension is only available to those who claim the basic State Pension
Certain pensioners born before a specific date could be eligible to receive extra funds on top of their State Pension.
The Additional State Pension is only available to those who claim the basic State Pension, not the new State Pension. This version of the State Pension is awarded to those who have made a qualifying amount of National Insurance contributions and were born before 6 April 1951 if they’re a man or 6 April 1953 if they’re a woman.
The additional sum you’ll receive with your State Pension will depend on various factors. These include your earnings, the number of years of National Insurance contributions you’ve made, and whether your Pension was topped up between October 2015 and April 2017.
Who can claim the Additional State Pension?
To be eligible for the Additional State Pension, you must have reached the State Pension age before 6 April 2016. If this applies to you and you began claiming the basic State Pension, then you should automatically receive the Additional State Pension as long as you’re eligible for it in most situations, according to the Express.
It’s important to note that the Additional State Pension consists of three different schemes, and you may have contributed to more than one. These can include the following three schemes:
- State Second Pension – Between 1978 and 2002 you would have contributed if you were employed
- State Pension top-up – From October 12, 2015 to April 5, 2017 you would have contributed if you reached the State Pension age before April 6, 2016 and opted in
- State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) – Between 2002 and 2016 you would have contributed if you were employed or claiming certain benefits
People not eligible for the Additional State Pension
There are circumstances where you may not automatically receive the Additional State Pension, even if you’re eligible. This could be the case if you were contracted out of it, possibly due to your employer operating a contracted-out pension scheme.
If you’re unsure whether this applies to you, it’s advisable to contact your pension provider for clarification. Alternatively, an old payslip can offer further insight into the type of pension you receive.
If neither of these options are viable, the Pension Tracing Service can assist in locating your pension provider’s details. During the time of a contracted-out scheme, you wouldn’t have made any contributions towards the Additional State Pension.
Furthermore, while contracted out, you would have paid lower National Insurance contributions. This only applies if you didn’t pay the reduced rate of National Insurance, were below the State Pension age, or earned between £155 and £770 a week.
However, official guidelines indicate that the extra pension received from a contracted-out scheme is typically either equivalent to or more than the Additional State Pension.
Complete information about the Additional State Pension can be found online here.