Question
Dear Sir,
I am 65 on 11th April 2011 can you tell me how much pension I will get or how to find out?
Answer
A lot of people may assume that they will automatically receive the full State Pension (which is currently £97.65 a week for the 2010-11 tax year) but this is not necessarily the case. In fact some people will get less than the full entitlement while others may get more. This is because the amount of State Pension you will receive at retirement depends on how many qualifying years of National Insurance Contributions (NICs) you have built up. If for example you have not been able to pay NICs at some point in the past your State Pension entitlement may be reduced as a result. Consequently I do not know how much pension you will be entitled to personally.
However, there is a way to find out – by obtaining a State Pension forecast. A state pension forecast gives you detailed information on what you might receive when you reach State Retirement age. The forecast will estimate both your basic State Pension as well as any additional State Pension (S2P).
For further details read my article Money tip #109 – Get a State Pension forecast (and why)
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