Claiming State Pension

bigfreddiel

You can claim your State Pension 4 months and 4 days before your SP date.

I have all the information I need, I have my State Pension online activation code, I'm 4 months away from being 65, so should I wait for the letter to arrive inviting me to claim, or should I just go for it online?

I guess online is more secure and the preferred method for the gov, with it's push to all digital accounts.

Just curious about what fellow MSE people have done.

fj

maximumgardener

you can just phone them and state you are claiming your SP.

thats what I did. It was painless !!!

I made the call 3 months before my SP age (65), which was last year.

you can do it online if you prefer

DollyDee_2

My husband had his letter sometime in January and phoned to claim. As above, very quick and simple and they confirmed the amount he would get. He's 65 end April.

bigfreddiel

Thanks everyone, I will wait till I receive my letter and phone. Cheers fj

greenglide

The BR33 "invitation to claim" is totally redundant in all this. It provides nothing that you do not already have, it is just a reminder to claim, nothing personalised, no PIN for online service, nothing.

So if you want to claim and you are within 4 months and 4 days you are good to go.

The online service is not more or less secure or anything like that it is simply different, some people prefer it, some don't.

mgdavid

bigfreddiel wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I will wait till I receive my letter and phone. Cheers fj

why wait?
pointless!

Of course if the letter never comes, and therefore you never claim, it will save the exchequer some money so good for the rest of us ;-)

bigfreddiel

mgdavid wrote: »

why wait?
pointless!

Of course if the letter never comes, and therefore you never claim, it will save the exchequer some money so good for the rest of us ;-)

Actually, your probably right. Thanks fj

greenglide

But equally there is no rush. There is no prize for applying early and under normal circumstances it is a pretty automated process.

Unless HMRC have lost your records or something like that...........

xylophone

Do you want it paid weekly? If so, better to phone and specify this.

bigfreddiel

xylophone wrote: »

Do you want it paid weekly? If so, better to phone and specify this.

No 4 weekly is fine with me, and here's a bit for anyone claiming online, you need this info to hand, preferably before you start:

your Government Gateway user ID, password and activation code
your bank account details
your National Insurance number
your current address
addresses and dates of employment if you’ve
worked in the last 2 years

You’ll also need any of the following that apply to you:
your partner’s details, eg National Insurance number
details of any benefits that you or your partner get
date of your marriage or civil partnership
date of divorce or civil partnership dissolution

And also you may need your tax reference or UTR (Unique Tax Ref)

I don't really know why they should need my partners information. Our tax situation is totally separate.

Cheers fj

greenglide

I don't really know why they should need my partners information. Our tax situation is totally separate.

The spouse details are only relevant if you, or they, are claiming other benefits.

The on-line system isnt clever enough to only ask for details that are needed, it is only an online form filling exercise.

The HMRC Self Assessment system, for example, is better, if you answer "no" to a question it doesnt ask any of the lower details.

After a lot of pressure to have on-line systems in the early 2000s they then failed to update or maintain them so a lot of them fell into disuse although they seem to be moving in that direction again. For some silly reason they think that online is cheaper, it isnt necessarily and you have to get it right.

With State Pension you only claim once so there isnt the scope for savings IMHO|.