Pension claim following divorce

Saving_Slade

my parents divorced after 21 years of marriage, mum already receives a state pension in her own name. Is she entitled to some of my dad's state pension when he gets this when he is 65 next april, he made a throughaway comment to mum saying that his wife of only 12 years will be getting 40 odd years benefit from his pension. Mum then phoned the pension board apparently as she remarried before she was 60 she will not be entitled to anything from dad's pension even for the years that they were married and even more annoying she will not be entitiled to anything from her husband now when he retires. So if the above is right surely my step mother won't be entitiled to any of dad's pension as they married before they were both 60. Sounds rather confusing and as dad is only visiting from Australia for a few weeks I would rather clear this up! Can anyone help???

EdInvestor

AFAIK your mother will not now be entitled to anything on the basis of your father's contributions, but will be entitled to a pension worth 60% of her new husband's pension when he retires, if this is higher than what she gets in her own right.

Likewise your stepmother will be entitled to a pension worth 60% of your father's pension, if it is more than what she would get in her own right.Both ladies would also get any S2P/Grad pension they were entitled to in their own right.

As of 2010, it's likely people will only need 30 years' contributions to get the full pension, which sounds as though it might benefit your stepmother, but not your mother if she is already retired.

Your Dad's pension has presumably not been uprated for inflation since he's been in Australia.However, they should uprate it while he's here, if he tells them he has come back.Make sure he lets them know,