Understanding your State Pension forecast
If you have received your State Pension forecast and need help with the terms used, this page will help to explain them. If you need further help or have more questions, use the contact details below to find out more.
Additional State Pension
The amount of additional State Pension you may get at your State Pension age could be different to the estimate shown in your forecast.
Why could it be different?
On 6 April 2012 contracting out into a defined contribution scheme was abolished.
On that date, you were brought back into the additional State Pension if you are a member of:
- a defined contribution workplace scheme (sometimes known as an occupational or company pension scheme) that was contracted out before 6 April 2012
- a personal or stakeholder pension scheme that was contracted out before 6 April 2012
If you joined the additional State Pension on 6 April 2012 due to this change, your State Pension forecast won’t show the effect of the change.
How this change may affect the estimate of your additional State Pension
In your State Pension forecast you are given two figures for your estimated additional State Pension.
The change does not affect the first of these figures – the additional State Pension that’s based on your National Insurance contributions record to date.
However, it may affect the second figure – the additional State Pension you may get at State Pension age. The figure shown does not include any extra additional State Pension you may get from 6 April 2012 because you are no longer contracted out.
If you are contracted out on a salary-related basis you are not affected by this change.
Find out more about ‘Additional State Pension’ on the following link.
Home Responsibilities Protection – what is it?
Home Responsibilities Protection protected your right to State Pension if you were receiving certain benefits and you were caring for one of the following:
- a child
- a person who was sick
- a person who was disabled
Home Responsibilities Protection has been replaced by credits for people reaching State Pension age on or after 6 April 2010.
See ‘Caring and your pension’ to find out more about credits for carers.
See ‘Changes to State Pensions for parents and carers’ to find out more about credits for parents.
Spouse or partner’s State Pension entitlements
If your spouse or partner has not reached State Pension age, they should apply for a State Pension forecast or State Pension statement in their own right. If they have already reached State Pension age and do not receive their State Pension they should contact The Pension Service.
Contracting out of the additional State Pension
Contracting out means that you have joined a company, stakeholder or personal pension scheme that can be used to replace all, or part, of the additional State Pension.
If there is a contracted out deduction on your forecast you can find out more by contacting HM Revenue & Customs (HRMC).
More help understanding your State Pension forecast
If you need further help understanding your forecast there is a guide that you can download.
Contact the Future Pension Centre
If you have further questions about the content of your forecast then contact the State Pension Forecasting Team.
National Insurance
For more information about how National Insurance contributions affect your State Pension forecast see the following page.
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