UK State Pension

A state retirement pension is provided by the UK government for those who have reached state pension age, currently 65 for a man and 60 for a woman. However a woman's state pension age will gradually increase to 65 between 2010 and 2020.

The amount you receive depends on the number of qualifying years you have. This is the number of years you have been paying or treated as paying National Insurance.

Presently the full basic state pension is £82.05 for a single person and £131.20 for a couple. For many people this will be a drop in income so it is worth planning ahead by saving for your retirement with a personal pension.

As well as saving for a second pension, another consideration might be life insurance or critical illness insurance to ensure your loved ones are looked after, or at the very least your mortgage repayments are covered should the unexpected happen.

If you are considering a second pension, we would recommend that you seek financial advice.

Please feel free to use the links below to find out more about state pensions.

	Stakeholder Pensions Get jargon-free, impartial info about pensions from the FSA.
	UK Pension Release Over 50? Release cash from your pension. How it works? Free info pack.
	Manage Your Finances Money, tax and benefits : your official guide.
	Find State Pension Resources at Ask.com Whatever type of pension you're looking for, find it with Ask.com. Browse a wide range of providers and find what you need in seconds.