Claiming part of my late husbands state pension

TinSoldier

Indeed, but women born after 5 April 1953, who therefore come within the rules of the New State Pension, need to be clear that they can only inherit 50% of a late husband's graduated and Additional State Pension not any part of his main state pension.

I am finding all this very confusing. I am on the old pension, born March 1953, and I have been informed that I can only inherit a percentage of my husband's additional pension, not any of his main pension, which you are saying (I think) applies to people on the new pension.

It depends on what basic state pension you have earned for yourself. If you have worked and paid enough years to receive the current maximum basic state pension in your own right (currently £156.20) you cannot inherit his basic state pension. If you are short on years may be able to use his contributions to top up to £156.20.

This:

www.gov.uk/state-pension/inheritance-spouse-civil-partner

You may be able to increase your basic State Pension by using their qualifying years if you do not already get the full amount of £156.20 a week.

But this if he would have reached pension age after 5 April 2016:

www.gov.uk/state-pension-through-partner/y/widowed/your_pension_age_before_specific_date

If they reached (or would have reached) State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, only their National Insurance contributions to 5 April 2016 can be used to increase your basic State Pension.

Thank you TinSoldier, I understand it now. He was younger than me and on the new pension. It seems crazy, I would have been a lot better off if he had been on the old one and I was on the new!