Do you have to apply for your state-pension or does it come automatic

oliveoil99

Talking to a female friend who has just passed her 62nd birthday I said are you enjoying your bus-pass and she said she doesn't have it as not received her state-pension and seemed to think you don't get it until 65. I know she has a private income so maybe off the radar. I have had a pension-forcast and get mine at 62 and 2months next year and I'm more than a year younger than her. If she should of been receiving a pension would it be back-dated or because she has not applied would ignorance of the rules not be an excuse. Waiting for your advice on this matter thank-you.

Lokolo

I don't know enough about the state pension but if she turned 62 on 1st April she would have been entitled to it a year ago (inc. bus pass)

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension/y/age/female/1951-04-01

Mojisola

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/how-to-claim

SnowMan

State pension can be back-dated up to 12 months. You don't have to give any reason for not having claimed on-time. See here where it says

Time limits
We can accept your claim if it is received no earlier than 4 months before the date you wish to get State Pension, or the date you reach State Pension age, whichever is the later.

Your State Pension cannot be backdated more than 12 months before the date your claim is received.

If you ask us to backdate your State Pension claim, we will work out how much State Pension you are due, back to the date you tell us you want your claim to start from, and pay you this amount. This payment does not include any interest, and you will not earn extra State Pension or a lump-sum payment for the period you backdate your claim for

oliveoil99

We used to work together and I think her husband looked after the finances. She needs to get in touch with pension services then looks like a nice little windfall in on the way and the bus-pass as well that's where I see her mostly. Will put a note through her door and tell her to apply quickly I think was was 62 in February. Thanks for your help.

atush

If she doesn't need it, they can ask to defer it and then the rate would increase when she finally did. but she might have to commence it first now, and take the back payment.

SnowMan

oliveoil99 wrote: »

We used to work together and I think her husband looked after the finances. She needs to get in touch with pension services then looks like a nice little windfall in on the way and the bus-pass as well that's where I see her mostly. Will put a note through her door and tell her to apply quickly I think was was 62 in February. Thanks for your help.

Great stuff :T

As I understand it the state pension is automatically deferred if it is not claimed.

And so your friend may not lose out on the extra 2 months through a mixture of deferral and backdating. I've not come across this scenario so can't be sure on that.

(edit atush just beat me to it, albeit a slightly different point :beer:)

oliveoil99

SnowMan wrote: »

Great stuff :T

As I understand it the state pension is automatically deferred if it is not claimed.

And so your friend may not lose out on the extra 2 months through a mixture of deferral and backdating. I've not come across this scenario so can't be sure on that.

(edit atush just beat me to it, albeit a slightly different point :beer:)

I didn't know anything about deferring just had a read up on it. Husband still works I think there not short of a bob or two nice house. Can you still get your bus-pass if deferring pension then?

SnowMan

oliveoil99 wrote: »

I didn't know anything about deferring just had a read up on it. Husband still works I think there not short of a bob or two nice house. Can you still get your bus-pass if deferring pension then?

Yes. As long as a man or woman is over female State Pension Age they can get their free bus pass, regardless of whether they've chosen to defer.

Some more info on adviceguide (the Citizens Advice website) and gov.uk

oliveoil99

SnowMan wrote: »

Yes. As long as a man or woman is over female State Pension Age they can get their free bus pass, regardless of whether they've chosen to defer.

Some more info on adviceguide (the Citizens Advice webiste) and gov.uk

This deferring has got me intrigued, I can understand if your still working have a private income not needing your pension. How long can you carry on deferring and what happens if you popped your clogs during the deferring would all that pension go to your estate or would it be lost?

Mojisola

https://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@over50/documents/digitalasset/dg_200597.pdf