The state pension rules differ depending on the type of state pension you are on. A man born on or after April 6 1951 or a woman born on or after April 6 1953 will be able to get the new state pension. Those born before these dates will follow the basic state pension rules. It’s only possible to claim your state pension once you’ve reached state pension age.
This age has been rising in recent years, and is set to continue increasing.
As such, it’s worth visiting the government website in order to work out what your state pension age is.
However, just because you’ve reached state pension age, it does not mean you’ll automatically get it.
For both the new and basic state pension, you’ll need to put in a claim.
The way to do this may depend on the type you are eligible for, with the new state pension having the option of doing so online.
It may be that some people opt against claiming their state pension as soon as they reach state pension age.
For some, this is because they want to defer their state pension.
State pension UK: Some people may choose to claim backdated state pension payments (Image: GETTY)
The type of state pension you can claim depends on your sex and date
