State Pension

[emmie]

does anyone know if you have to apply for your state pension, as i will be coming up for mine in dec this year

[Boto]

Jj @19.49 if you had to supply your bank details you obviously claimed it.

[THECORBYLOON]

I joined the then DHSS in the mid eighties and dealt with various benefits including Retirement Pension and each one involved completing a claim form.

Even then, the process was the same as now, with a claim form being issued four months before retirement age to those who had an entitlement.

Even if the paying authority had all your correct address and payment details from previous claims, they would need your declaration they were correct and that you would report any change in circumstances affecting your entitlement.

I know there are folk on here who are advanced in years but trust me, it is not possible to receive Retirement Pension without making a claim.

[brainiac]

emmie You should receive a letter four months before you reach pension age - I know this as I got one 3 weeks ago. It will say

"This is your invitation to get your state pension"

It will have your unique invitation code, such as

EMM285CY7K

which you then put into the online form, along with your bank details etc

If you're not entitled to the full pension because you haven't paid in for the necessary years, you can get it topped up to the full amount by Pension Credit, as long as you don't have savings of more than £10,000 and no other income/investments/pprivate pension which would reduce the Pension Credit. There is a Pension Credit calculator which will tell you:
https://pensioncreditcalculator.dwp.gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator.php

Good luck!

[THECORBYLOON]

In case a Mod is concerned about the unique invitation code in the previous answer, I checked and it's not valid.

[brainiac]

^^ of course I didn't put my own code in, I made one up!

[THECORBYLOON]

It's not unknown for folk to include personal information by mistake.

I don't know what like the format looks and it could have been valid, albeit made up.

Better safe, than sorry.

[Old_Geezer]

"What's wrong with the process exactly?"

The fact that the pension you are entitled to has to be claimed and doesn't automatically get sorted. (Thought that would go without saying.)

[Mamyalynne]

Where do you expect them to automatically send it?

How would they know whether you wanted to defer it?

[THECORBYLOON]

OG, do you really expect the Government not to check one or two details before they send out millions of pounds each week?

[ToraToraTora]

yes

[Old_Geezer]

Wherever the recipient asks it to be sent.

Presumably they would ask first ?

They are expected to check their records. Who's suggesting they won't ?

[THECORBYLOON]

"Wherever the recipient asks it to be sent"

Would that be given on a claim form, for example?

[Old_Geezer]

No, of course not. Sorry, but I missed the humour in that post. It would be a response to a request from the government authority if they were doing their job right. Is this thread turning into a game of, 'ask questions with obvious answers' ?

[THECORBYLOON]

OG, for clarity, can you please explain exactly what you think the process should be and what information should be required?

[Peter Pedant]

I think OG is thinking about the tax man
and how he DOESNT say - oh you can only pay tax if you fill out this give page doc.....

but being in a philososphical mood - that is how life is

[bednobs]

I'm not sure what you expect of. It's not like you have to prove your entitlement on the form. They just want to make sure who you are where you live and how and where you want it paid (and if you need to apply for pension credit). It doesn't to me seem unreasonable that they check you are alive before they pay it (into an account you want it paid to)