The State Pension is made up of basic State Pension and additional State Pension. The amount of basic State Pension you will receive when you reach State Pension age depends on the number of years you have paid or been treated as paying National Insurance contributions. These are called 'qualifying years'. In certain circumstances, you can be credited with National Insurance contributions when you are unable to do paid work.

Men need 44 qualifying years to get a full basic State Pension and women who reach 60 before 2010 need 39 qualifying years. But the State Pension age for women will change between 2010 and 2020 so the number of qualifying years a woman needs will gradually increase to 44 years.

Depending on your individual circumstances, you may be entitled to additional State Pension. As its name suggests, additional State Pension is paid in addition to the basic State Pension.
 

On 6 April 2002, the State Second Pension reformed SERPS to provide a more generous additional State Pension for low and moderate earners, and certain carers and people with long-term illness or disability. (Any SERPS entitlement already built up will be protected both for those who have already retired and for those who have not yet reached state pension age.)

There are a number of companies who provide free state pension advice & information. Make sure you get professional pension advice from a qualified financial advisor.

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