State Pension payment warning for older people reaching DWP official retirement age this year
16.01.2023 - 17:41
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
State Pension currently provides essential financial support for 12.5 million older people across the country, including more than one million retirees living in Scotland. This regular payment is available for those who have reached the UK Government’s eligible retirement age, which is now 66 for both men and women, and have paid at least 10 years' worth of National Insurance Contributions.
However, many people approaching the official retirement age in 2023 may not be aware that this contributory benefit is not paid automatically by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and needs to be claimed, or they could miss out on payments of up to £185.15 every week. The reason it is not paid automatically when someone reaches State Pension age is because some people choose to defer making a claim in order to keep working and generate more towards their pension pot, especially if they have not paid the full quota of 35 years' worth of National Insurance Contributions
DWP guidance explains: “You do not get your State Pension automatically - you have to claim it. You should get a letter no later than two months before you reach State Pension age, telling you what to do.”
It then clarifies that you can either claim your State Pension or delay (defer) claiming it. It states: “If you want to defer, you do not have to do anything. Your pension will automatically be deferred until you claim it.”
Which means, unless you respond to the letter confirming that you want to start claiming State Pension, you will not receive any payments as the DWP will interpret no response as a wish to defer.
Deferring your State Pension could increase the payments you get each week when you decide to claim it, as long as you defer for at least nine
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