State pension

Newly_retired

All I can add is that local authorities have had extra funds available fpr those who miss out on the main CoL payments. Each one distributes them differently, often through various agencies.

whizzywoo

If you only just miss out on Pension Credit then you may qualify from some Council tax relief from your local council 

xylophone

 am told that 1 year in the old sheme does not equal 1 year in the new scheme but I can't  find out anywhere what it is worth.  I retired at the age of 62 in 2016 living on my works pension 

You were in a contracted out pension scheme.

You say that you retired in 2016 at which time you had 47 qualifying NI years and approximately  four(?) years up to the last full tax year before the one in which you would reach SPA.

You are receiving  exactly the amount to which you are entitled.

On 6/4/16, two calculations were done for you in order to establish your "starting amount" for NSP.

It was the higher of your entitlement under

(a) Old Rules

NI years/30 (max) x £119.30 (Full Basic) + (Additional State Pension - (if applicable) Deduction for Contracting Out)

(b) New Rules

{NI years/35 (max) x £155.65 (Full NSP)} - (if applicable) Contracted Out Pension Equivalent (rebate derived amount).


Your "starting amount" was under a full NSP and you had a number of years before you reached SPA.

It would have been possible for you to improve your starting amount by making voluntary contributions for years from 6/4/16 up to the last full complete tax year before the one in which you reached SPA.

Depending on your "starting amount", it might not have been necessary for to make contributions for all of those years in order to reach the full NSP.

For example, if your "starting amount" had been (say) £145, contributions for two more tax years would have brought you up to full NSP.

You may still be able to make those contributions.

See https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181237/single-tier-pension-fact-sheet.pdf

which was a Guide to NSP produced by the government in preparation for the new system.

and

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-state-pension-if-youve-been-contracted-out-of-additional-state-pension/the-new-state-pension-transition-and-contracting-out-fact-sheet


https://www.dpf.org.uk/explorer/files/TOPPING-UP-YOUR-STATE-PENSION-GUIDE.pdf