Claiming the state pension.

The Pension Service should send claim forms out to people 4 months before they reach state retirement age – if you don’t get one you should call 0845 6060265. You can get your pension even if you carry on working past state retirement age, though the more you earn the more tax you are likely to pay on it. Some people who have healthy finances in their sixties can do well to defer accepting their state pension for a while.



If you agree to wait a few years you can either ask for a higher weekly payment when the time comes, or get a one-off lump sum. In retirement it is also worth making sure you know about other benefits available to older people. Pension Credit is a big one and you can get information at www.thepensionservice.gov.uk. It’s also worth learning more about the State Second Pension (formerly SERPS). We’ve written an independent guide to that on www.statesecondpensions.co.uk.