A1. When would I be registered with the statutory pension system in the UK?
The statutory pension system in UK is part of the National Insurance (NI). You will be affiliated to the NI when paying NI contributions. NI contributions have to be paid in case of:
- being at least 16 years old and
- earning above £155 a week / being self-employed and making a profit of £5,965 or more a year,
or when you are treated as having paid (in case of illness or unemployment, you may be entitled for NI credits *).
With the first contribution you start to accumulate your pension entitlements with the State Pension scheme.
As soon as you pay NI contributions into your NI record, you get a NI number. You will find this e.g. on your payslip. If you do not have a NI number yet, please apply for it: https://www.gov.uk/apply-national-insurance-number
Please note:
The statutory pension scheme has been changed as of 6 April 2016. The new State Pension scheme is a so called single-tier scheme and provides a flat-rate pension depending on your National Insurance record when reaching the State Pension age. Until the change the State Pension scheme in the UK used to be a so-called ‘Two Tier System’. More information in question A.2.
*https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance-credits/overview