State Pensions

If you're in a couple and claiming Child Benefit – or you aren't claiming because one of you earns £60,000 or more a year – you could be missing out on £1,000s or even £10,000s in future state pension payments. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shared the warning and explained what you can do about it, on the latest episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

The state pension could rise by 8.5% from April 2024 under the 'triple lock' guarantee, meaning millions of people could receive a weekly increase of up to £17.35. Certain benefits, including Universal Credit, are also expected to rise from next April by 6.7%.

If you're getting the state pension and receive a letter from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the post, DON'T bin it. It's not a scam, and it could help you boost your pension by £10,000s. Below we explain what you need to know and answer your most common questions.

If you're a woman in your 60s or 70s who stayed at home to care for children before 2010, you may be missing out on £1,000s in state pension payments due to errors in your national insurance record. You don't need to do anything for the time being, though you will need to claim your missing state pension payments later this year.

The deadline to top up missing national insurance years between 2006 and 2016 has been extended for a second time – now to 5 April 2025 – and the price of doing so will remain frozen at current costs during this period. The changes mean you'll have more time to check your record and see if you can boost your state pension.

If you're aged under 70, you have just weeks left to boost your state pension by £1,000s or even £10,000s – so check NOW. That's what MoneySavingExpert.com's founder Martin Lewis urged everyone to do in a special 90-minute everything you need to know about pensions episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

The deadline to top up missing national insurance years between 2006 and 2016 has been extended to 31 July 2023, while the price of doing so will be frozen at current costs during this period. The moves come after many people reported being unable to access essential Government helplines to get vital information ahead of the previous 5 April deadline.

Aged between 45 and 70? You could be missing years off your state pension worth £1,000s, so check NOW. That's the warning from MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis in the second episode of the latest series of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.

The Prime Minister today (19 October) said she was "completely committed" to the triple lock, meaning millions of people claiming the state pension could receive a 10.1% increase in payments from April. However, given the ongoing cost of living crisis and economic uncertainty the Government has yet to officially confirm whether this will be the case, or whether benefits will rise by the same amount. 

If you stayed at home to care for family, as far back as 1978, your national insurance (NI) record may have been hit with errors that could see you missing out on £1,000s in state pension payments. Below we explain how to check and claim.