Your Social Security pension

​​​​​​​​​​​​​ ​About the Social Security pension

The Social Security pension is a benefit you can receive when you reach pension age.

The amount you receive depends on your Social Security contribution record. To get a pension, you must have paid contributions for at least 4 and a half years. Credits you receive​ from other benefits may count towards your pension.

Your pension is paid directly into your bank account every 4 weeks. We can pay your pension wherever you live in the world.

The Social Security pension is also known as the state pension or old-age pension.

If you want to keep working

You can keep working and receive your pension. You don’t have to retire.

If you keep working, you won’t have to pay Social Security contributions. Your employer must still pay the secondary contributions.

You’ll need to swap your blue registration card (Social Security card) for a red registration card the month after your pension starts. You can still swap cards after, even if you're not going to receive your Social Security pension.​

The red registration card shows that you no longer need to pay Social Security contributions as an employee. If you're not working, it helps keep your records up to date and shows your current status.

Find out more on starting to receive your Social Security pension.

When you stop paying contributions and opting out

Other benefits that may be affected

When you start receiving your pension some other benefits won’t be paid anymore, including:

• Short Term Incapacity Allowance (STIA)
• Long Term Incapacity Allowance (LTIA)
• Invalidity Benefit
• Incapacity Pension
• Home Carer’s Allowance
• Survivor’s Allowance
• Survivor’s Pension

How much you could get

The current full pension is £312.48 a week.

For a married couple receiving a pension based on the husband's contribution record, the maximum payment is £518.77​ a week.

Pensions are paid directly into your bank account every 4 weeks in advance. We can pay your pension wherever you live in the world.

How your pension is calculated

The amount of pension you receive depends on your Social Security contribution record.

To receive the full pension (100%), you must have paid or been credited with enough contributions before reaching pension age.

If your contribution record is 80% complete, you'll receive 80% of the full pension.

You won’t usually qualify for a pension if you have less than 10% entitlement (about 4 and a half years of contributions). Contributions paid in other countries with a reciprocal agreement with Jersey may be counted towards your entitlement.

Annual increases

Pension payments are reviewed and increased in October every year using Jersey’s:

• Average Earnings Index on Statistics Jersey
• Retail Prices Index (inflation) on Statistics Jersey

Increases are paid automatically, you don't need to do anything.

Contributions paid in other countries

You may still qualify for a Jersey pension if you've paid Social Security contributions in Jersey and in a country that has a reciprocal agreement with Jersey.

We'll need confirmation of your contributions from that country. If you live outside Jersey, contact the relevant social security authority and ask them to send us details of your contributions.

Contributions paid in another country can’t be used to increase the amount of your Jersey pension.

If you live in Jersey, contact us for advice.

Get a pension forecast

If you're aged 63 or over, you can request a pension forecast to estimate how much pension you may receive.

If you’re aged less than 63, we can only provide a forecast if you're expecting a significant change in your circumstances, such as:

• getting divorced
• starting or cancelling a married woman's election

A forecast can help if you're considering claiming your pension early or stopping contributions before pension age.

Allow up to 4 weeks to receive your forecast.

If you're a woman who started paying Social Security contributions before 1 January 1975, you can claim your pension at age 60.

Everyone else reaches pension age between 65 and 67, depending on your date of birth.

Use our online calculator to check:

• your pension age 
• your early pension age, if you choose to claim your pension early 
• how many years of contributions you need for a full pension 
• when you can claim a reduced pension 
• when you can stop paying Social Security contributions

Changes to pension age

The Social Security pension ages changed.

This affects people born after 1 January 1955.

It doesn't affect you if you’re a woman and you started paying contributions before 1 January 1975. You can still claim your pension at 60.​

Claiming your pension early

You can choose to take your pension early any time between your early pension age and your pension age. This is known as a reduced pension.

To find out when you can claim early, check your pensi​on age.

The age at which you can claim a reduced pension changes in line with the pension age.

If you claim your pension early, you:

• will receive a lower amount for life
  
• can’t change your decision later

It may also affect:

• an increase paid for a dependent wife
• a pension paid to a wife who claims early using her husband's contribution record
• a widow's pension based on her husband's contribution record

You should consider this carefully when planning for your future.

How reduced pensions are calculated

If you take your pension before your pension age, your pension will be reduced by 0.58% for each month it is paid early.

For example, if your pension age is 67 and you have a 100% pension entitlement, but choose to take your pension at 65, you’ll receive about 86% of the standard rate.

This is calculated as:

• 24 months x 0.58% = 13.92% reduction
• 100% - 13.92% = 86.1​% (about 86%)

The reduced rate will be paid for the rest of your life and you won’t be able to change your decision later.

How much you could get

Income Support and claiming early

If you receive Income Support, you should speak to them before making any decisions. Your benefits may be affected if you stop working.

Contact Income Support

Income Support: fail to look for work​

How to claim your pension early​

Complete our online form to claim your pension early.

If you're eligible, we'll send you a letter with a unique authentication code. Use this code to complete your online pension application.

You should get advice before choosing this option as you can’t change your decision later.

If you’re having difficulties using our online services, you can also email pensions@gov.je​.​

Request a pension application form

Apply online for your pension

To receive your pension, you must complete an online application.

You should receive a letter 3 months before you reach pension age. This letter will include a unique authentication code to apply online.

Apply as soon as possible. Pension payments can only be backdated for up to 6 months before the date you make your claim.

Apply for your Social Security pension

If you haven’t received a letter

If you haven’t received a letter and will reach pension age in the next month, you can request an authentication code to apply online.

Request a pension application form

Update your details or tell us about a death

You must tell us if you:

• change your bank account
• change your address
• leave Jersey
• get married or enter a civil partnership
• get divorced or dissolve a civil partnership
• go to prison

Email your changes to pensions@gov.je​ and include:

• your Social Security number
• copies of supporting documents, such as a marriage certificate
  

To change your Jersey or UK bank account details, complete the form below and email it to pensions@gov.je.​

For an international bank account, contact us for advice. 

We can’t change bank details over the phone for security reasons.

Change the​ bank account we use to pay your benefit or pension

Tell us about a death

Use our online form to tell us if someone receiving a Social Security pension has died.

Tell us as soon as possible so we can stop any pension payments.

You'll need to provide:

• your details
  
• details of the person who has died

You can upload a death certificate or other document confirming the death, but you don’t need to provide this when you submit the form. You can send it later.

Tell us about a death

​Claim a pension increase for your wife​

You can receive up to £196.98 extra a week if you claim ​an increase in your pension for your wife.

You can claim an increase if:​

• you got married before 1 April 2001
• your wife is under pension age
• your wife is not receiving a Social Security benefit
• your wife lives with you, or you mainly support her financially

If you're separated, you may still qualify if you pay maintenance to your wife.

You can claim this increase when you apply for your pension.

Women and pensions

Claiming your pension at age 60

You can choose to claim your pension from age 60 if you're a woman who started paying Social Security before 1 January 1975.

If you do this, you won't be able to receive any benefit payable to people below pension age. Find out more about other benefits that may be affected.

If you don't have enough contributions to qualify for a pension at age 60, you can continue working and paying contributions until you reach pension age.

Using your husband’s contribution record

You may be able to receive a pension based on your husband's contribution record if:

• you married before 1 April 2001
• you've reached your pension age
• your husband has reached his pension age and qualifies for a pension

If your husband claims his pension while you're near or over pension age, we'll normally write to you and explain how to make a claim. If you don't receive a letter, contact us.

We will automatically pay you whichever pension gives you the highest amount. If you prefer to receive a lower pension based on your own contribution record, you must tell us.

Claiming a pension based on your husband's contribution record can affect your tax. Before making a claim, we strongly recommend that you contact Revenue Jersey on +44 (0) 1534 440300.

If you're below pension age when your husband claims his pension​

Your husband can claim an increase to his pension for you if:

• you got married before 1 April 2001
• your husband qualifies for his pension
• you're still below your own pension age

We’ll contact you to approve the increase.

When you reach pension age, we'll check your and your husband's contribution records. We'll pay you the pension that gives you the highest payment.​

Using your ex-husband's contribution record

We may be able to use your ex-husband's contribution record instead of your own to calculate your pension if:

• you got married before 1 April 2001
  
• you re-married after 1 April 2001​
  

This only applies to the period when you were married.

If you're a widow

If you're receiving widow's benefit, you can claim either:

• a widow's pension
• a Social Security pension

You'll receive whichever pension gives you the highest amount.

If you got married:

• on or after 1 April 2001, your pension will be based on your own contribution record
• before 1 April 2001, we may be able to use your late husband's contribution record for the period you were married when calculating your pension

​ Tax and your pension

You must pay tax on your pension and you must declare your pension income on your tax return each year.​

If you live in Jersey, we'll send you a pension statement each January showing the total pension you received in the previous year.

Income tax and your pension

Give someone permission to help with or receive your pension

Allow someone to discuss your pension with us

Complete the form below to give someone permission to receive information about your pension or contact us on your behalf.

Authority to disclose information form

Allow someone to receive your pension payments

Complete the form below if you want another person or organisation to receive your pension payments on your behalf.

Payment to an agent or authority application form

Appeal a pension decision

If you disagree with a decision about your pension, contact us to discuss.

Contact us​

You can book and appointment or contact the Pensions and Care Hub Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm:​

• call +44 (0) 1534​ 444444
• email pensions@gov.je​

Book an appointment with the​ Pensions and Care Hub​​

You can also write to:

JE4 8PE​