Wife already has State pension - what happens when I reach 65 next year?

Corallian

My wife is already receiving a State Pension based on her own contributions. What happens next year when I reach 65 and am entitled to a full State Pension based on my own contributions? Do we each receive an individual pension? I'm not clear about the concept of the Married Couples pension.

alared

According to another thread,if you`ve paid enough stamps,you both get individual pensions.

Corallian

Thanks for confirming what I had thought.

margaretclare

Nothing happens. You both get SRP in your own right. See; http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1447393

EdInvestor

Corallian wrote: »

My wife is already receiving a State Pension based on her own contributions. What happens next year when I reach 65 and am entitled to a full State Pension based on my own contributions? Do we each receive an individual pension?

Things will remain the same unless your wife claims for an increased state pension based on your contributions.She would only do this if her own pension was less than 60% of yours (which is what she is entitled to claim now you have retired.).

I'm not clear about the concept of the Married Couples pension.

It basically doesn't exist,except in a vestigial case where a husband has retired but his wife is under her state pension age.He can claim a dependant's allowance for her until she gets to state pension age at which point it converts to a 60% individual pension for her. This under 60 allowance will be ended for new applicants and phased out for others from next year.

alared

EdInvestor

A friend`s wife recently retired but only paid enough stamps to receive 90% of her state pension.
When her husband retires later this year, when`s he`s 65, he will get the full pension having paid 44 years stamps.
Will her pension remain at 90% or can it be topped up to 100% on his contributions?

margaretclare

A woman has the choice of claiming against her husband's contribution record or against her own "whichever is the most favourable". So, one would assume that 90% against her own contribution record is better than 60% against her husband's, so she'd be better off to stay with her own record.

The situation could change if she were to be widowed or divorced when IIRC she can claim 100% against her late or ex.