Basic State Pension - What if I don't qualify?

You may not qualify for the Basic State Pension yourself because you haven’t paid enough national insurance contributions or received enough national insurance credits. You may still be able to claim Basic State Pension in some situations. You could also be eligible for Pension Credit to top-up your income. 

Living partner’s contributions

You may still be able to claim if your husband, wife or civil partner paid enough contributions or received enough national insurance credits, and you have both reached State Pension age.  

If you are relying on your (living) partner’s national insurance record, the maximum Basic State Pension is £101.55 per week if you are under 80 years old, and £101.80 per week after you turn 80. Check the How much Basic State Pension will I get? section to see when this amount may be reduced. 

Deceased partner’s contributions

If you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner, you may still be able to claim if your partner paid enough national insurance contributions or received enough national insurance credits, and:

• You reached State Pension age before your husband died 
• You reached State Pension age after 5 April 1979 and before your wife died 
• You had both reached State Pension age before your civil partner died
• You reached State Pension age after your husband or wife died, they died after 8 April 2001, you claimed Bereavement Allowance or Widowed Parent’s Allowance and you have not remarried
• You reached State Pension age after your civil partner died, they died after 4 December 2005, you claimed Bereavement Allowance or Widowed Parent’s Allowance and you have not remarried.

If you are relying on your late partner’s national insurance record, the maximum Basic State Pension is £169.50 per week until you are 80 years old and £169.75 per week after you turn 80.  

Check the How much Basic State Pension will I get? section to see when this amount may be reduced. 

Over 80

You may be able to claim an Over 80 pension when you reach 80 years old if you do not already receive a Basic State Pension or the amount you receive is low.

The maximum amount of Over 80 pension is £101.80 per week. Your entitlement is reduced by the amount of Basic State Pension you are already receiving. 

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) failed to pay pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been underpaying pensions for some groups. This particularly affects women whose pensions are paid under the old system.

If you are a woman and fall into any of the groups below, you are particularly likely to be affected:

• You are married and were born on or before 5 April 1953, or
• You are widowed and your late husband was born on or after 17 March 1943, or
• You divorced after reaching pension age, or
• You are over 80 and are not receiving a state pension of at least £101.80 per week

The DWP is going over cases and identifying when it thinks pensions have been underpaid. They are asking people to wait and not get in touch with them but the process of finding all the cases is estimated to take five years. If you fall into any of the groups that are most likely to have been affected, you might like to contact the DWP and insist on your case being looked at sooner.