If you have never worked and never paid National Insurance (NI) contributions, you typically will not receive a UK State Pension, as it requires a minimum of 10 qualifying years. However, you may still qualify through National Insurance credits (e.g., for caring, parenting, or disability) or by using a spouse's/civil partner’s NI record.
To receive the full State Pension you must have paid 35 years of NI contributions. If you have never worked, and therefore never paid NI, you may still be eligible for the State Pension if you have received certain state benefits, for example carer's allowance or Universal Credit.
If you have fewer than the full number of qualifying years, your basic State Pension will be less than £176.45 per week. Check your National Insurance record to find out how many qualifying years you have.
Old Age Security (OAS) pension
Apply for OAS if you are 65 and older even if you have never worked or are still working.
Pensions for the unemployed
If you are unemployed you can receive National Insurance credits towards your basic State Pension provided you receive or received Jobseeker's Allowance.
If you do not qualify for a State Pension
You might be eligible for Pension Credit or other benefits and financial support.
But even if you never worked and therefore don't have an earnings record, you're not necessarily out of luck. If you're married (or were married) to someone who's entitled to Social Security, you can collect spousal benefits equal to 50% of your husband or wife's benefits at full retirement age.
The full rate of new State Pension is £230.25 a week. Your amount could be different depending on: if you were contracted out before 2016. the number of National Insurance qualifying years you have.
Self-employed individuals can establish retirement plans like a solo 401(k), SEP IRA, or SIMPLE IRA. Contribution limits generally increase every year to adjust for inflation.
You can apply for new State Pension by telephone. A friend or family member can call us for you if you cannot use the telephone. Call the Pension Service. Telephone: 0800 731 7898 Textphone: 0800 731 7339 Page 11 Page 12 The line is open Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
The number of Pay-Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions you have made is the main determining factor for state pension eligibility. As of 2025, you need 520 full-rate PRSI contributions to qualify for the state pension[1].
The only time you can collect your CalPERS pension contributions is when you leave CalPERS employment (without retiring), and doing so has consequences (and will terminate your membership).
The basic State Pension is currently £137.60 per week. This amount goes up each year. If you can get it, the full new State Pension amount is £179.60 a week. The money you may be able to get could be lower.
As I mentioned earlier, the ATO's view is that where we fail to meet a minimum pension payment, the pension stops at the start of the year that the failure occurred. So, in my earlier example we didn't pay our minimum pension payment in the 2025 financial year, our pension was deemed stopped on 1 July 2024.
The exact amount you're entitled to will be based on the number of years you have National Insurance credits for. As mentioned, though, if you have less than 10 years' worth of NI credits or contributions, you won't usually be eligible for any State Pension.
You may qualify for some State Pension if you have never worked due to ill health or disability, or because you have had a role as a parent, or a carer for a loved one. If eligible, you can get National Insurance Credits to fill gaps in your National Insurance record, even if you have never worked.
Today, in some pension plans, you are fully vested after five years on the job. In others, it takes you seven years to become fully vested - but you become vested in increasing portions of your benefit starting at three years.
To get the full basic State Pension you need a certain number of qualifying years of National Insurance. If you're a man you usually need: 30 qualifying years if you were born between 1945 and 1951. 44 qualifying years if you were born before 1945.
People who have never worked may still be eligible for certain Social Security benefits, primarily through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. SSI is a federal assistance program designed to provide financial aid to people who are over 65, blind, or disabled and have limited income and resources.
Many retirees with little to no savings rely solely on Social Security as their main source of income. You can claim Social Security benefits as early as age 62, but your benefit amount will depend on when you start filing for the benefit. You get less than your full benefit if you file before your full retirement age.
A stay-at-home parent can get a Social Security check just like any other worker. Here's how. In order to qualify for a full Social Security benefit, you have to have worked 40 quarters, which equates to 10 years, earning a minimum of at least $1,640 per quarter.