Claiming state pension

anon_private

I know that I need to claim the state pension before it will be credited.

I also know that I can claim at my convenience. But I am not sure if I need to give some notice before it will be paid by a certain date.

For example, If I am eligible in, say, early March, do I need to claim by a certain date to ensure that payments start in early March?

Thanks

Ref. UK

seven-day-weekend

I believe you hear from the Pension service a couple of months before your date.

But you can claim before that. I claimed, by phone in September 2009 for a pension age in late January 2010 because I would be out of the country after that until June 2010. . They took all the details by phone and told me how much it would be and when it would be paid, and everything happened as they said. (The actual date the pension was received was February 3rd)

I assume you can still do this.

anmarj

You can claim from four months before you want it to start, and as long it is a straight forward claim, it will get sorted more or less at that point.

greenglide

anon_private wrote: »

I also know that I can claim at my convenience. But I am not sure if I need to give some notice before it will be paid by a certain date.

Normally you will be sent a "claim pack" around four months before you reach SPa (State Pension Age).

The fact that you don't appear to have received one could mean that they don't hold an up to date address for you or, exceptionally, they think you have no entitlement. To have no entitlement these days would mean always having a MWREE (paid the "small stamp") or never paid any contributions in your working life.

The earlier you claim the better - it gives them time to sort out any issues if the data they hold for you is incorrect.

You can claim up to four months and four days before SPa.

Alter_ego

Worth noting that you do not have to claim. Every year you defer adds 10.4% to your pension when you do claim. Or you can choose the unclaimed amount in cash + 2.5% when you decide to claim.
If still working this can save tax as well.

anon_private

Thanks for responding.

I have the letters and packs, there are no problems. I have not yet claimed and wondered if they need time to arrange things, or if I could claim anytime up to my 65th birthday and it would be activated immediately.

I am delaying claiming at present, because I want to be sure of my position over the next month or so, However, I expect to need the payments on my 65th birthday and beyond