Qualifying for basic State Pension

Qualifying years

A 'qualifying year' is a tax year (April to April) during which you have paid, or have been credited with enough, National Insurance Contributions (NICs) to make that year qualify towards your Basic State Pension.

Eligibility

You’re eligible for the basic State Pension if you were born before:

• 6 April 1951 if you’re a man
• 6 April 1953 if you’re a woman

If you were born on or after these dates you must claim the new State Pension.

The earliest you can get the basic State Pension is when you reach State Pension age.

To get the full basic State Pension you need a total of 30 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits. This means you were either:

• working and paying National Insurance
• getting National Insurance Credits, for example for unemployment, sickness or as a parent or carer
• paying Voluntary National Insurance contributions

The full basic State Pension is £141.85 per week.

If you have fewer than 30 qualifying years, your basic State Pension will be less than £141.85 per week but you might be able to top up by paying voluntary National Insurance contributions.

To get information about your basic State Pension, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre or the International Pension Centre if you live abroad.

National Insurance Credits

You may be able to get National Insurance credits if you’re not paying National Insurance, for example when you’re claiming benefits because you’re ill or unemployed. You can also qualify as a parent or carer.

Credits can help to fill gaps in your National Insurance record, to make sure you qualify for certain benefits including the State Pension.

Increasing Basic State Pension through your spouse or civil partner

If you’re married or in a civil partnership, you might be able to get up to £85 per week if either:

• you’re not getting a basic State Pension
• you’re not getting the full amount (£85 per week)

You can only get an increase if you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 and your spouse or civil partner reached State Pension age either:

• before 6 April 2016 and they qualify for basic State Pension
• on or after 6 April 2016 and they have one or more qualifying years of National Insurance contributions or credits from before 6 April 2016 (even if they do not qualify for the new State Pension)

You can qualify for an increase, even if your spouse or civil partner has not claimed the State Pension.

You’ll get any Additional State Pension or Graduated Retirement Benefit, based on your own contributions, on top of the increase from your spouse or civil partner.

If your spouse or civil partner was born before 6 April 1950, you can only get the ‘top up’ if you’re a woman who is married to either:

• a man
• a woman who legally changed their gender from male to female during your marriage

Most people will get the increase automatically if they are eligible.

You need to contact the Pension Centre to get the increase if you’re a married woman and:

• your spouse claimed their State Pension before 17 March 2008
• you reached State Pension age before your spouse

You will also need to contact the  Northern Ireland Pension Centre if your spouse or civil partner reached State Pension age but has not claimed their State Pension yet.

If you’re not getting the ‘top up’ but think you qualify, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

• Get in touch if your circumstances change

You don’t qualify for a State Pension

If you’re not covered by any of these groups but want a State Pension you might be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions.

Men born before 1945 and women born before 1950

If you are a man born before 1945 or a woman born before 1950 you need:

• more than 30 qualifying years to get the full basic State Pension
• a minimum number of years to get any State Pension

The minimum number of years is usually 11 years for men born before 1945 and 10 years for women born before 1950.

Transgender people

Your State Pension might be affected if you’re a transgender person and you:

• were born between 24 December 1919 and 3 April 1945
• have claimed State Pension before 4 April 2005
• can provide evidence that your gender reassignment surgery took place before 4 April 2005

You don’t need to do anything if you legally changed your gender and started claiming State Pension on or after 4 April 2005 - you’ll already be claiming based on your legal gender.

If you do not qualify for a State Pension

If you’re not covered by any of these groups but want a State Pension you might be able to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions.