New State Pension - How do I claim New State Pension?

Start the claim

You will not automatically get New State Pension, you have to claim it. You do not have to claim it straight away. You can start claiming at any time after you reach State Pension age.

If you start your claim up to 12 months after you reach State Pension Age, you can ask that the claim is backdated to when your entitlement started. If you start your claim over 12 months after you reach State Pension Age, you will be treated as having deferred your pension. You can still choose to have it backdated but this would mean missing out on the increases you get from deferring your pension. If this applies to you, get advice before deciding whether to request backdating. 

You will usually receive a letter from the Pension Service around four months before you reach State Pension Age telling you how to claim. If you have not received a letter and there are less than three months left before you reach State Pension Age, you can phone the claim line to find out the next steps.

Your letter will generally include a ‘unique invitation code’. You will need this invitation code when making a claim online. You usually have to claim state pension on your own behalf. However if you cannot manage your claim, another person can claim state pension for you as your ‘appointee’. Remember, it is important to choose someone you trust.

If you do not qualify for New State Pension, or the amount you receive is low, and you turned State Pension Age before 6 April 2016, you will usually receive a letter from the Pension Service before you turn 80 telling you how to claim the Over 80 pension. If you have not received a letter, you can contact the Pension Service or, in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Pension Centre. 

In England, Scotland or Wales

Claim online or using British Sign Language (BSL) at Gov.UK: Claim your State Pension online. 

Phone the Pension Service:

• Telephone: 0800 731 7898
• Textphone: 0800 731 7339
• Welsh Language Line: 0800 731 7936
• Textphone: 0800 731 7013

Download a claim form from the New State Pension: How to claim page on the Gov.UK website.

In Northern Ireland

Claim online on the NI Direct website. 

Phone the Northern Ireland Pension Centre:

• Telephone: 0808 100 2658
• Textphone: 0808 100 2198

Provide documents

You may need to provide these when you claim:

• Your national insurance number (and partner's, if you have one)
• Proof of your identity (for example, your passport, birth certificate or driving licence)
• Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
• Divorce certificate or civil partnership dissolution certificate.
• Details of your employment.

Receive payments

Your New State Pension will be paid directly into your bank or building society account. If you are unable to open or manage an account, you could be paid through the Payment Exception Service.

New State Pension is usually paid every four weeks. The day your pension is paid depends on the last two digits of your National Insurance number . If it is -

• 00 to 19 your payment day is Monday.
• 20 to 39 your payment day is Tuesday.
• 40 to 59 your payment day is Wednesday.
• 60 to 79 your payment day is Thursday.
• 80 to 99 your payment day is Friday.

New State Pension counts as income for other benefits.