Pension status

gayeshake

Although I am married I have been advised that I can claim my state pension as a single person and thereby claim approx another £30, is this correct?

CLAPTON

yes you can claim your state pension based on your own NI contributions (or credits)
however, you can alternatively claim up to an amount equal to 60% of your spouses pension if that is greater; this doesn't affect your spouse's pension
you can't claim both

margaretclare

gayeshake wrote: »

Although I am married I have been advised that I can claim my state pension as a single person and thereby claim approx another £30, is this correct?

How old are you, and have you been paying the euphemistically-called 'married women's smaller stamp'? If you've been paying full NI contributions then you get your state pension in your own right. Whether you're married or single is irrelevant.

People do not claim their state pension as either single or married. Even a married woman who is getting 60% of what her husband gets (after he's 65) gets it for herself i.e. it is paid into her own bank account and is her own money.

To illustrate, DH and I each get full state pension in our own right. I do not depend on him for my state pension. When we got married I continued getting the same state pension as I had before marriage.