The state pension

whistles

Can someone please explain to me why we have people on the old pension and those on the new pension.

Is the old pension actually pension credit? Or do we oddly have old and new benefits across the board which must add to the mess we are in?

State Pension confirmed to rise by 4.1%

The Chancellor confirmed that both the old (basic) and new State Pension are set to rise by 4.1% on 6 April 2025, under what's known as the 'triple lock' guarantee.

• Those on the full New State Pension will see their weekly pension rise from £221.20 to £230.25.
• Those on the Old State Pension will see a weekly rise from £169.50 to £176.45.

How on earth do those on the old state pension live if that's what it is?

lou100

The reason for two different amounts is because those on the lower level retired 60 women and 65 men. Woman had up to 6 years extra to work at the cost of 45k and men 1 extra year 11k.

poppy123456

The old state pension is for those that reached this age before 6th April 2016. For those that reached this age from that date will be claiming new state pension.

Those claiming the old state pension have more chance of being entitled to Guarantee Pension Credit which tops up their income to a certain amount. Being entitled to PC can increase entitlement to benefits such as full housing benefit, Full Council Tax reduction, winter fuel payment, NHS treatment etc.

There's some information here about state pensions.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/your-new-state-pension-explained/your-state-pension-explained

whistles

It's 68 now I think. We might be living longer but we aren't going to be healthier are we.

lou100

I don’t know about living longer. Just because the age rate has changed isn’t a guarantee to a long life. My husband had three years in retirement and he passed away along with 2/3 of his pensions.

poppy123456

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/934728#Comment_934728

State Pension age is currently 66. Rising to 67 from May 2026.

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/money-legal/pensions/state-pension/changes-to-state-pension-age/

whistles

We have those who went straight to work aged 14 or 15. So those retired at 60/65?

If you start work at 16 and work until 66. That's still the same fifty years.

So raising it to 67 implies that you might not start work until 17 if you stayed on to do A levels, you will still work fifty years.

Just random thoughts, it's not accurate. Just seems to me they want fifty years or of everyone with 35 counting towards the main pension.

Another random thought. Neither of my nans worked, so I wonder how they managed on just one state pension.

poppy123456

You don't need to have worked to be entitled to state pension. There's benefits that also include NI credits towards your state pension. There's many people that have never worked or worked very little and still entitled to full state pension.