Working out how your pension will be affected by being a carer can seem daunting. Pensions for everyone are a hot topic at the moment and guidelines and eligibility criteria are subject to change. Proposals are that the retirement age for state pensions is rising so that by 2020 everyone will be 66 before they can receive state pension providing they have made enough national insurance contributions. The retirement age may be raised further to 68 subject to government legislation in future. You need to know how much you have contributed in National Insurance contributions during your working life. If you have been a carer for some time this may have caused a gap in your contributions. At the moment the government will credit your contributions but you need to get help to work out your own individual circumstances.
For the most up to date information check;
- Direct Gov website.
- Carers Scotland. For pension advice.
- Your local carer’s organisation should also be able to help you.
- The National Insurance Enquiry Line number is on 0300 200 3500
- The Pension Advisory Service website or the help line on 0300 123 1047
- MoneyHelper.org: Pensions & Retirement