Whitesands

My US wife will be 62 this year and I believe I can claim some pension for her, I'm really not sure how I go about this, I'm sure when I claimed my pension 4 years ago that I informed them that I was married.
Is there anything I need to like a form to file.

Would appreciate any help.

Ivan.

durham_lad

you may be out of luck in 2016 when the new pension laws kick in, but you might as well apply now and get as much as you can until then.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22423878

robin1234

But here's another quote from that BBC article;

.

Doesn't that mean the new restriction will only apply to new retirees under the new, 2016 and forward, system? If so, Whitesands and wife should be good for life if she's entitled to a pension?

Pistolpete2

Looks like she qualifies under current pension rules, not the new ones.

See this:

https://www.gov.uk/state-pension/eligibility

under:
Married or in a civil partnership

Not sure what your wife's birth date is but if, for example, she was born on 1st August 1952, she would be eligible for the UK State Pension on 6th November 2014 and could get her pension pack in July.

Go into this to check:

https://www.gov.uk/calculate-state-pension

Whitesands

Thanks for the replies.
Do I need to fill out a new BR1? or will the pension kick in automatically?

Pistolpete2

At the bottom of the Married or in a civil partnership piece that I provided it refers to YOU which is your spouse and says

"You do this through claiming your State Pension."

click on the 'claiming your State Pension' button and you'll see the instructions.

I note that even if you hadn't claimed your pension (i.e. you had deferred) she can still go ahead and claim hers.

durham_lad

That's how it reads to me which is why I suggested above that he go ahead and apply right away. Even if they revoke existing spouse pensions his spouse will get some benefits, but it is likely they will grandfather in existing spouses receiving pensions.

Pistolpete2

per same BBC article:

"British pensioners and their families who currently live overseas and make such claims would not be affected." suggests that if you are in you are in.