State Pension - Weekly Payments Option

dampsquib

I thought it might be useful to point out/remind folks that you can still opt to have your State Pension paid weekly.
DWP seem to regard the weekly payments option as almost a secret.
A few months back, after searching on this forum and elsewhere, I eventually found confirmation that weekly payments was still an option for new pensions.

The weekly option isn't offered when you claim online, but DWP was happy to oblige when I rang them.
NB: Choose the 'phone claim' option when you ring - even if you have already claimed online.

I must add that I was very impressed with the officer at DWP that answered my call. Sadly these days I just expect to speak to someone whose only skill is the ability to read from a script, but on this occasion at DWP, I got someone who knew their stuff, and was very helpful. Well done the DWP!:)

Why did the Government choose 4-weekly payments as the default option, when everyone's bills are due monthly?
It was the lack of a 'monthly' option that made me go in search of the weekly option!

greenglide

Why did the Government choose 4-weekly payments as the default option, when everyone's bills are due monthly?

Because State Pension (and many other benefits) is a weekly benefit and always has been.

In the days of weekly order books there was an option the be paid 4 weekly into a bank account if you preferred. More recently this became the "preferred" periodicity but the weekly option is still there but is normally not offered - it is, after all, more expensive to pay.

Offering a true monthly option would require a change to the law (all the legislation speaks of weekly amounts) and a massive change to the IT systems to deliver it.

I would expect it to be done eventually but many years away! I cant see it being very high on anybody's to-do list.

mjmal51

I claimed weekly as per the OP and probably only knew about it from reading previous MSE forum posts.
Even claiming by phone it is not offered as an option, you do need to be aware and make the request and they are happy to oblige.