State pension - after divorce

fgcann001

I wondered if there is any guidance someone can give with regards to an ex-husbands state pension.  Before I start, it may sound as though I'm being greedy - but here is a bit of back history.
Basically I was with my ex-husband from the age of 23 - he was 40.  He was a very high earner and I was in a good job.  We married in 1999 after being together from 1994.  Had a child and I didn't work, although I went back part time and I've now been full time since divorcing.  We divorced in 2014 - being rather petrified of him, I didn't ask for half his pensions - although they were significant.  He also had a huge chunk from the matrimonial home.  I just wanted out and be safe.  However, he then passed in 2020 and as such my child and his children from a previous marriage have a large sum of his estate and private pensions.  However, I am now wondering - is there any way I'm able to see if I can claim on the state pension?  I'm assuming not as I've been divorced for 11 years - but heading towards mid-fifties, working full time and having a mortgage and still supporting my child I thought I would look to see if there is a way to look at the state pension for support?   I may be working until I'm 95 to just live due to the fact I gave up work, didn't claim the pensions (which I still stand by) and am a low earner.  Just though I'd ask.

Emmia

Have you looked at your own state pension entitlement?

Ms_Chocaholic

Also check here to see if you are entitled to any additional benefits

https://www.turn2us.org.uk/

molerat

As you are both post 2016 pensioners and he died post 2016 the only tenuous entitlement you may have would be on half of any amount above the new state pension max amount but I believe that would have to have been sorted through the courts as part of the divorce settlement and would not kick in until your state pension age anyway.

As advised above you need to look into your own state pension entitlement https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

xylophone

See p 15 here, bearing in mind that new SP was introduced in 2016.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/181235/derived-inherited-entitlement.pdf

https://www.gov.uk/additional-state-pension/you-get-divorced

Marcon

fgcann001 said:

Had a child and I didn't work, although I went back part time and I've now been full time since divorcing.  We divorced in 2014 - being rather petrified of him, I didn't ask for half his pensions - although they were significant.  He also had a huge chunk from the matrimonial home.  I just wanted out and be safe.  However, he then passed in 2020 and as such my child and his children from a previous marriage have a large sum of his estate and private pensions.  However, I am now wondering - is there any way I'm able to see if I can claim on the state pension?  I'm assuming not as I've been divorced for 11 years - but heading towards mid-fifties, working full time and having a mortgage and still supporting my child I thought I would look to see if there is a way to look at the state pension for support?   

Have you looked at the possibility of entirely legitimately accessing and using some of your child's inheritance to support them now? That's often quite a difficult concept to swallow for an honest and devoted parent, but it's a perfectly reasonable one, depending on the circumstances, age of the child, how the funds were left (possibly tied up in a discretionary trust if they were under 18 when the testator died - in which case check the terms of any trust to see what options you/the child have in terms of accessing those funds).