Pension or Benefits

Hunting

My wife and I have just received our letters informing us of our state pension increase for 2025- 26. (Scotland)
My wife received her letter in the standard brown envelope associated with normal Pension/ Tax correspondence. Inside, the heading stated "Increase to your State Pension Amount" and went on to say the state pension will increase by 4.1% from 7th April 2025.
The letter is signed off "The State Pension Team. "
My wife is on the New State Pension (Full amount)
I am on the Old State Pension.(Full Amount)
My letter came in a white envelope and is not headed the same as my wife's, but instead is headed, "About The General Increases In Benefits" and that the amount of benefit I receive will change on 10th April 2025. (I have never been on benefits nor have ever been eligible) Then it goes on to list the following, with amounts/deductions next to them
How Your Benefits Made Up.
Basic State Pension.
Pre 97 additional State Pension.
Less Contracted-Out Deduction (COD).
Total Payable
Post 97 additional State Pension.
Graduated Retirement Pension.
The reason for this post is, with my letter being headed as Benefits, does this mean I am on benefits and can then move forward to claim other benefits, as I was was not eligible before as I was not on benefits. However this letter appears to indicate what my benefits are e.g. State Pension. My letter was signed off Office Manager, (no mention of The State Pension Team), unlike my wife's.
My wife being on the New State Pension scheme, receives more every 4 wks, than myself, on the Old State Pension scheme. This difference will increase each year as it is calculated as a percentage, (a two tier pension system ?). Appreciate any information anyone can supply to me

xylophone

The State Pension (old or new) is a benefit.

https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim76160#:~:text=The State pension is a,the social security retirement pension.

The State pension is a contributory benefit based on the payment of National Insurance contributions.

The State pension is commonly called the National Insurance retirement pension, the State retirement pension or the social security retirement pension.

The State pension is taxable as pension income (see EIM75700).

You are on the old scheme and will continue to receive your  pension  under the old rules and your annual uprating letter in the old format. .

Your wife is on the new scheme and will receive her pension under the new scheme and her annual uprating letter in the new format.

What she receives is based on her own record just as what you receive is based on your own record.

The fact that SP is a benefit does not automatically entitle you to other state benefits.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7a21fd40f0b66a2fc00201/single-tier-pension-fact-sheet.pdf produced by the 

government  in around 2013 as an introduction to the forthcoming scheme may be of interest.

At inception (6/4/16) the full NSP was £155.65.

Marcon

Hunting said:

My wife and I have just received our letters informing us of our state pension increase for 2025- 26. (Scotland)
My wife received her letter in the standard brown envelope associated with normal Pension/ Tax correspondence. Inside, the heading stated "Increase to your State Pension Amount" and went on to say the state pension will increase by 4.1% from 7th April 2025.
The letter is signed off "The State Pension Team. "
My wife is on the New State Pension (Full amount)
I am on the Old State Pension.(Full Amount)
My letter came in a white envelope and is not headed the same as my wife's, but instead is headed, "About The General Increases In Benefits" and that the amount of benefit I receive will change on 10th April 2025. (I have never been on benefits nor have ever been eligible) Then it goes on to list the following, with amounts/deductions next to them
How Your Benefits Made Up.
Basic State Pension.
Pre 97 additional State Pension.
Less Contracted-Out Deduction (COD).
Total Payable
Post 97 additional State Pension.
Graduated Retirement Pension.
The reason for this post is, with my letter being headed as Benefits, does this mean I am on benefits and can then move forward to claim other benefits, as I was was not eligible before as I was not on benefits. However this letter appears to indicate what my benefits are e.g. State Pension. My letter was signed off Office Manager, (no mention of The State Pension Team), unlike my wife's.
My wife being on the New State Pension scheme, receives more every 4 wks, than myself, on the Old State Pension scheme. This difference will increase each year as it is calculated as a percentage, (a two tier pension system ?). Appreciate any information anyone can supply to me

Sounds as if the colour of the envelope(!) and the terminology depends on whether someone is on the old or the new state pension regime.

What if anything has changed to make you think you might now be 'on' benefits other than the state pension? Surely you'd know if you were receiving any other benefits? Might be worth checking if you think you could/should be - try eg https://www.agescotland.org.uk/information-advice/information-guides/money-and-benefits

Hunting

Thanks for all your prompt responses.

molerat

Both myself and MrsM are on the new pension and we get the different letters.

The annoying thing is that the pension increase letter gives the weekly amount and the dates and amounts of the first two payments of the year as they are different but the benefit increase simply gives the new weekly payment.

p00hsticks

Hunting said:

The reason for this post is, with my letter being headed as Benefits, does this mean I am on benefits and can then move forward to claim other benefits, as I was was not eligible before as I was not on benefits.

You don't specify what 'other benefits' you are thinking of claiming but I suspect you will find that the eligibity of most will specify 'mean tested benefits' rather than just benefits (which will include items like State Pension and PIP that even multi-millionaires can receive). For someone over State Pension Age this will will mean getting Pension Credit instead of or alongside a less than full state Pension. 

Silvertabby

All public sector DB schemes (and probably many private sector schemes as well) issue 'benefit' statements.