The new 'flat rate' State Pensioners

Those who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 have the privilege of being the first recipients of the new, supposedly 'flat rate' State Pension. Although the headline flat rate has been set at £155.65 per week nearly everyone is receiving a different amount to this.

There are a number of reasons why this is so but the two main reasons relate to the old State Pension system, which featured an entitlement to additional State Pension for many and lower State Pensions for those who had been 'contracted out'.

The important point for everyone who is planning for their retirement is to have an up to date pension forecast. An online version is in its testing stage at gov.uk/check-state-pension. This page provides details of other ways of obtaining a forecast.

All you then have to do is understand it! At the start of this year the Work and Pensions Committee raised concerns that the details sent out to individuals regarding when they will receive their State Pension and its expected value were insufficiently clear and could be misunderstood. However it is clearly far better to be in receipt of this information than have no information at all.