When you’re planning for the future, remember that you may be entitled to some pension benefits from the Government. There’s the State Pension – and there are other benefits for pensioners, such as free prescriptions and bus passes.
It’s an amount of money and usually it will be paid every four weeks. The amount you get depends on different things, like when you were born and whether you’re a man or a woman. To be eligible, you need to have made a certain amount of National Insurance contributions over the years.
There are two types of State Pension:
If you’re eligible, you should get an invitation to claim approximately four months before your State Pension age. If you’re eligible but your invitation doesn’t arrive, call the Pensions Service on 0800 731 7898 or visit their website to claim online.
The State Pension rules do change from time to time – so, check the Government’s website to see what you can expect to receive.
Your State Pension age depends on whether you’re a man or a woman, and when you were born. The Government is gradually making the State Pension age for men and women the same. They’re also gradually increasing the State Pension age for everyone over many years. You can check your State Pension age using the Government’s calculator.
Pensioners are entitled to all kinds of benefits, from Council Tax Support to free prescriptions and eye tests. The consumer organisation ‘Which?’ offers a helpful list of pensioner benefits that could apply to you.
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If you don’t know which section you’re in, contact the Helpline (contact details are at the bottom of the page); or If you recieve an Annual Benefit Illustration the section is noted on the front page.