Can you inherit your state pension from your spouse? How to get more and how to claim

Many rely on the state pension to be comfortable and secure in later life.

But what happens when your spouse dies? Do you lose their state pension?

Can you inherit their state pension?

The government said: “You might be able to inherit an extra payment on top of your new State Pension if you’re widowed.”

So how do you know if you are able to inherit extra state pension in the case of your other half’s death?

The amount of national insurance contributions your partner has paid dictates if you can claim and how much you can claim.

For you to inherit your deceased spouses state pension you must also be of state pension age. If you are not it may be possible to claim bereavement benefits.

It is also very important to let the government known about your partner’s passing so their state pension payments can stop.

However, if you have remarried or entered into new civil partership you will not be able to claim the state pension of your former spouse.

You may also be able to inherit your other half’s additional state pension.

The government said: “You might inherit part of your deceased partner’s Additional State Pension if your marriage or civil partnership with them began before 6 April 2016 and one of the following applies, your partner reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016 or they died before 6 April 2016 but would have reached State Pension age on or after that date.

“It will be paid with your State Pension.”

If you were married before 1977 and paid the “married woman’s stamp” you can get a state pension based on the national insurance your partner paid.

You can contact the Department of Work and Pensions or the Future Pension Centre for help.

It has recently been grandparents could increase their state pension by a whopping £5,000. But how? According to Royal London just 10,000 Britons claimed this top up, but many more are missing out. 

However, only grandparents helping to care for children can get it. The UK government explained: “Specified Adult Childcare credits work by transferring the NI credit attached to Child Benefit from the Child Benefit recipient to a family member who is providing care for a related child under 12.

“Therefore, if no one has claimed Child Benefit for the child there is no attached NI credit to transfer and Specified Adult Care credits cannot be awarded.”

Recent state pension age rule changes have meant some couples will miss out on £7,000 a year. 

Are you one of these people and how can you avoid the cut?