The new system will apply to you if you are a man born on or after 6 April 1951, or a woman born on or after 6 April 1953. To save the state money, the official retirement age is gradually being raised. While many women currently get the state pension at age 63 and men at age 65, the thresholds are moving up. They will rise to at least 66 for both by 2020, and possibly to 68 in the 2030s
The maximum flat-rate people can receive under the new single-tier system has been set at £155.65 a week. This will be paid as long as men and women have built up the necessary 35 qualifying years. As a general rule, you’ll get the equivalent value of the state pension according to the total number of years you’ve built up – so 23 years would give you roughly two thirds of the payout, or about £103.
It’s estimated less than half retiring under the new system will qualify for the full flat-rate amount in the first five years. This is mainly due to the numbers of people who won’t have enough qualifying NI years because they’ve been what’s known as ‘contracted out’ of the old state pension in the past.
Now, if you are, or were, in what is known as a defined benefit pension, you’re likely to have been ‘contracted out’ of the additional state pension. In a nutshell, it meant workers paid a lower rate of NI contributions. This was because, in return, they will have paid extra into their workplace scheme, or had it paid for them by their employer. Millions of workers with company pensions in the public and private sectors are affected. Some stakeholder and personal pension schemes were also contracted out.
This means that, for the purposes of eligibility, you may not qualify for a full £155.65 despite having what you thought were 35 years of NI contribution.
I have been a fully Qualified Financial Adviser for 28 years and also understand the needs of expats and the rules that apply to ex British living and retiring in Spain. In today’s financial climate it is essential you do everything you can to make sure your money is safe and secure, ensuring that what you want to transpire in the future has the best chance of happening.
This communication is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice, investment recommendations or investment research. You should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this communication is correct, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions.
Readers may remember the pension freedoms announced by George Osborne in 2014. These became effective on April the 6th this year. The fanfare accompanying the announcement and indeed subsequently is often set against the backdrop of pensioners sat in Daimlers or on Yachts having drawn all their money out and lavished it on some frivolous purchase.