Discrepancy in my State Pension

Mariolanza

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Mariolanza said:

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

Are you under the old "basic" State Pension system?

If so the triple lock only applies to part of your entitlement not all of it.

You can check the appropriate % for each element here.  It is very unlikely to be wrong, I wouldn't waste your time (or DWP's) without comparing how your pension is made up against the list below.  Use last year's annual increase letter to see what your pension consists of.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-and-pension-rates-2025-to-2026/benefit-and-pension-rates-2025-to-2026#state-pension

Marcon

Mariolanza said:

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

New State Pension increases by the triple lock figure of 4.1% - but you are likely to have a 'protected payment' component to your pension, which increases by 1.7%. Have you looked on the back of the letter advising you of the increase, which explains what this could be?

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Marcon said:

Mariolanza said:

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

New State Pension increases by the triple lock figure of 4.1% - but you are likely to have a 'protected payment' component to your pension, which increases by 1.7%. Have you looked on the back of the letter advising you of the increase, which explains what this could be?

Would it have to be more than £221.200week for that relevant 🤔

Marcon

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Marcon said:

Mariolanza said:

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

New State Pension increases by the triple lock figure of 4.1% - but you are likely to have a 'protected payment' component to your pension, which increases by 1.7%. Have you looked on the back of the letter advising you of the increase, which explains what this could be?

Would it have to be more than £221.200week for that relevant 🤔

You're right - it would! Thank you. 

QrizB

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Marcon said:

Mariolanza said:

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

New State Pension increases by the triple lock figure of 4.1% - but you are likely to have a 'protected payment' component to your pension, which increases by 1.7%. Have you looked on the back of the letter advising you of the increase, which explains what this could be?

Would it have to be more than £221.200week for that relevant 🤔

We don't know when the OP retired, though?

If they retired prior to 2016, won't they still have BSP + SERPS/S2P?

If they have about £109 of BSP and about £65 of S2P, the sums work out.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

QrizB said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Marcon said:

Mariolanza said:

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

New State Pension increases by the triple lock figure of 4.1% - but you are likely to have a 'protected payment' component to your pension, which increases by 1.7%. Have you looked on the back of the letter advising you of the increase, which explains what this could be?

Would it have to be more than £221.200week for that relevant 🤔

We don't know when the OP retired, though?

If they retired prior to 2016, won't they still have BSP + SERPS/S2P?

If they have about £109 of BSP and about £65 of S2P, the sums work out.

Yes but they wouldn't be checking the increase for "protected payment".

It seems highly likely the op reached State Pension age pre 2016 as otherwise the whole of the £173.81 would be subject to the triple lock and be £180.92 in 2025-26, not the £179.39 that say they are going to get.

Mariolanza

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Mariolanza said:

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

Are you under the old "basic" State Pension system?

If so the triple lock only applies to part of your entitlement not all of it.

You can check the appropriate % for each element here.  It is very unlikely to be wrong, I wouldn't waste your time (or DWP's) without comparing how your pension is made up against the list below.  Use last year's annual increase letter to see what your pension consists of.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-and-pension-rates-2025-to-2026/benefit-and-pension-rates-2025-to-2026#state-pension

 Yes I receive the "old" style pension, far lower than the upgraded one. It feels so unfair.
I retired in 2012. 

Mariolanza

So not only do I receive far less than my partner, I also do not receive an increase in line with his?!

dunstonh

Mariolanza said:

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

Mariolanza said:

I have been notified by DWP that my state pension would increase from April. The triple lock makes it an increase of 4.1%.

When I looked at the figure, I noticed an error. 

My old weekly pension currently amounts to £173.81 a week. 
The new weekly pension, according to DWP, is £179.39 which is wrong. It should be £180.93. 
Over the course of the year, this will make a big difference.
Would anyone have an email address for DWP, Pensions department as it appears it is impossible to get hold of them over the telephone. 
Thank you!

Are you under the old "basic" State Pension system?

If so the triple lock only applies to part of your entitlement not all of it.

You can check the appropriate % for each element here.  It is very unlikely to be wrong, I wouldn't waste your time (or DWP's) without comparing how your pension is made up against the list below.  Use last year's annual increase letter to see what your pension consists of.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-and-pension-rates-2025-to-2026/benefit-and-pension-rates-2025-to-2026#state-pension

 Yes I receive the "old" style pension, far lower than the upgraded one. It feels so unfair.
I retired in 2012. 

Its not unfair.   

You had the ability to be paid a greater state pension under the old state pensions.    Or you could contract out of the SERPS/S2P which, depending on method, could either mean paying lower NI in those years contracted out or having part of your NI rebated into a personal pension which could build up your own pot of money.

Your state pensions total suggests you either didn't fully qualify or were contracted out of SERPS/S2P for a period.

QrizB

dunstonh said:

Your state pensions total suggests you either didn't fully qualify or were contracted out of SERPS/S2P for a period.

OP also receives a Belgian pension, so I suspect they didn't accrue enough UK years to earn a full BSP.