State Pension: Will I get a State Pension if I have never worked?

State Pension forms a core part of many people’s retirement income. But for many who have never worked or been able to work, massive changes were made in April 2016 that impacted their eligibility for State Pension. So can you get State Pension if you have never worked?

What is State Pension?

The State Pension is a regular income paid by the Government to people who have reached State Pension age.

State Pensions are funded from National Insurance (NI) contributions.

This weekly payment amount depends on how long you have been contributing towards it and the type of private pension you have.

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Who is eligible for State Pension?

There are two types of State Pension: Basic and new.

You can claim the basic State Pension if you are:

  • A man born before April 6, 1951
  • A woman born before April 6, 1953.

You can claim the new State Pension if you have at least 10 years’ NI contributions and are:

  • A man born on or after April 6, 1951
  • A woman born on or after April 6, 1953.

To qualify for the State Pension, you need to have made National Insurance contributions.

You need a minimum of 10 years’ worth of contributions to get anything at all.

To get the full State Pension amount you will need at least 35 years’ worth of contributions.

You may not have enough qualifying years because of gaps in your record.

These gaps can be caused by unemployment, being ill and not working, taking time off work for childcare or living abroad.

If you do not have enough, you may not be entitled to receive State Pension.

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When is State Pension age?

Your State Pension age depends upon when you were born.

The State Pension ages have been undergoing significant changes since April 2010 to reflect the changes in life expectancy.

For men and women, the current State Pension age is 65.

But the State Pension age is scheduled to rise to 66 by October 2020 and then due to rise to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

The age of eligibility for State Pension is due to rise to 68 between 2037 to 2039, although the specific timetable has not yet been confirmed.

You can find out when you will qualify for the State Pension using the State Pension calculator tool here.

What happens if you have never paid into your State Pension?

Many people may have never worked before they reach State Pension age.

Those who have a reason for never having worked such as being disabled or suffering a condition which means you cannot work are still eligible for State Pension.

Those who do not have such a reason may be ineligible for State Pension.

However, there is an exception to this rule which is if you are married or in a civil partnership.

You may qualify for your a State Pension based on your spouse or civil partner’s National Insurance record.

In the past, people who stayed at home to look after children would have been able to receive a payout based on their husband’s NICs.

But for those retiring under the new system as of April 2016, this is no longer automatically guaranteed.

Under the new system, everyone is now responsible for building their own NI record.

But the Government has placed a safety net for people like her meaning these partners will be entitled to receive 60 percent of your pension, but the partner who has not worked must have paid at least one year of lower-rate Married Women’s National Insurance in 35 years leading up to her State Pension age.

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