State pension: how to increase how much you get

The amount of state pension you receive when you reach state pension age relies on a number of factors. These include how much national insurance you have paid and also when you were born.

Can you increase your state pension?  Pension experts at PensionBee revealed to Express.co.uk how you can boost your pension pot. Delaying your state pension can boost your payments.

Delaying your state pension by just a few weeks could result in you receiving a higher weekly state pension amount, or even a lump-sum payment. The amount you’ll qualify for depends on when

you reach state pension age. IF YOU REACHED STATE PENSION AGE BEFORE 6 APRIL 2016 Your state pension will increase by around 1 per cent for every 5 weeks you defer, totalling 10.4 per cent

for every full year. For 2018/19, the basic state pension is £125.95 a week or £6,549.40 a year. If you delay taking your pension for just one year your state pension will rise to £139.05 a

week, or £7,230.60 a year. If you reached state pension age before 6 April 2016 you could qualify for a lump sum payment if you defer claiming your state pension for a minimum of 12 months.

That means you could take a lump sum of around £6,713 (including interest of 2 per cent above the Bank of England base rate), when you defer the basic state pension of £125.95 a week for a

year. IF YOU REACHED STATE PENSION AGE AFTER 6 APRIL 2016 If you’ve reached state pension age relatively recently, you’ll see less of an increase as the new state pension is already higher

than the basic state pension amount referenced above. Your state pension will increase by around 1 per cent for every 9 weeks you defer, totalling 5.8 per cent for every full year. If you

receive the new state pension of £164.35 a week or £8,546.20 a year in 2018/19, your pension will rise to £173.89 a week, or £9,041.88 a year when you defer taking your pension for a year.

If you receive housing benefit or pension credit, it’s worth noting that these benefits may be affected by any additional pension income. But, if you qualify for a lump-sum payment your

benefits won’t be affected. How can you find out when you will reach state pension age?  Gov.uk have a tool online where you can check what your state pension age may be.