State Pension Amount

Could be due to a previous overpayment? Alternatively if you are UK resident the amount could be winter fuel payment and not your pension ? Agree It’s best to call to find out.

That actually sounds probable. If UK resident you should receive a winter fuel payment plus a bonus which would possibly bring your amount to around £500, which is roughly 2/3 of a full pension payment. You are paid your pension every 4 weeks, so maybe look at when you last received pension and go forward 4 weeks see of the dates match?

A few years ago the Government reviewed pensions, all people born after a given date would have pensions of £210 per week. This would not be given to existing pensioners who would continue on £160 per week. This action gives the U.K. Atwood tier pension system and this difference is also reflected in one iff payments and pension increases. This is wrong, after 40 years of full contributions I am on the lower rate, purely through age. The higher pension is awarded to people who have completed 30 years of full contributions. Unfair or what?

Ginger, I believe the 30 year’s contributions are the MINIMUM required to qualify for a full state pension. Most of us worked and contributed for much longer than that.

Don’t know your age but you also have to bear in mind that the retirement age for women was moved by SIX years!! Some (maybe yourself) were able to retire at 60 but that was moved to 66 and will no doubt move to 67 soon.

So, many women have enjoyed an extra six years of pension payments whilst others had to keep working and contributing for an additional six years.

You need a minimum of 10 years contributions to qualify for at least a portion of the new state pension, up to a maximum 35 years. If you were at any time contracted out of the state scheme into a private pension, then those years won’t count. The current new state pension is £185.15 per week, if you don’t qualify for pension credit etc. This would be reduced pro rate for fewer than 35 years.

The £10 Xmas bonus(haha), is paid separately, if you are a U.K. resident then you would probably qualify for the winter fuel allowance and all the other extra payments for this year, maybe it’s not your pension at all, but one of these.

Hope this might save you the call, but to be fair when I’ve had to phone them they’ve been nothing but helpful.

Seems not many have bothered to actually read the question and have jumped in with both feet and getting it wrong ...! I had my normal payment on 24 nov , i then had another payment on the 1 dec which was £79 light , i then received a £10 payment on the 2 dec , so where is my £70 ....?????

Spanish or UK resident ?????

Why would you expect to get 2 pension payments within 1 week of each other???? It would help if you answered the question as to whether you are a UK resident. That would help identify the second payment. I received my UK pension plus my oap winter fuel top up within a few days of each other.

I thought ex pat british,spanish residents,
Didn't qualify for the uk winter fuel allowance.

Only DWP can accurately answer the OP's question.

Regarding contracting out (nenny) this only applies to the SERPS element and has no effect whatsoever on the basic state pension which you cannot contract out of.