How to boost your state pension by up to £700 a year
STATE pension payments are worth thousands of pounds a year, so you don't want to miss out.
The maximum pension amount you'll get is £179.60 a week - or around £9,339.
While it's unlikely to be enough to live off alone, getting the most you can from your state pension can give your finances a valuable boost.
The average amount retirees are getting on the new state pension now is £170.50 for men and £164.74 for women, according to the latest figures.
That means they are missing out on as much as £700 a year.
There are plenty of things you can do to make sure you're not missing out on this cash once you've finished work.
To qualify for the new state pension you need at least ten years' worth of national insurance contributions, and to get the maximum you need at least 35 qualifying national insurance years.
Check your national insurance record
National insurance contributions are usually taken directly from your wages if you're employed or via self-assessment for the self-employed.
People often have gaps if they were unemployed, on a low income, or self-employed.
You can check how many years of NI payments you've made and see any missing years on the .
The closer you get to retirement, the more important it is to check how many years you have.
If you have any gaps that mean you might not hit 35 qualifying years, you can still take action so you don't miss out on the cash.
The rules are complex so it could be worth seeking financial advice or to find out if you’ll benefit from making extra payments.
Avoid gaps by claiming national insurance credits
National Insurance credits are a way of maintaining your National Insurance record when you are not making National Insurance contributions through work.
It explains the circumstances where you'll need to claim and when you'll get it automatically.
You'll either need to apply online or have to contact your local Job Centre to receive the credits.
You can check how to apply for each one on the same page.
Beware the child benefit trap
For couples, the lowest earning person could be missing out on National Insurance credits.
This could be happen if a child benefit claim is under the highest earner's name in the household.
Someone who receives child benefit for children under the age of 12 is treated as if they had paid NI contributions for that week.
It means if the lower earner in the household isn’t the person who made the claim, they’re missing out on NI credits that count toward their state pension.
Meanwhile, anyone earning over £50,000 can't get child benefit, but parents are still encouraged to register so they don't miss out on the credits.
The same also goes for grandparents who haven't yet reached retirement age and care for their grandkids could also be missing out.
One grandmother has said she lost out on £800 a year in state pension payments.
National Insurance Credits can be passed from a parent to grandparent doing childcare, but only if the parent is claiming child benefit themselves first.
The grandmother of two missed out because her daughter wasn't claiming.
Both parents and grandparents who find out they could have been getting the credits can only backdate claims for National Insurance Credits for three months.
This means they could miss out and lose thousands in state pension payments later on.
Claim extra benefits
If you're already retired and get a small income through the state pension you could get extra cash.
Around a million pensioners are missing out on thousands of pounds a year and extra freebies on top via pension credit.
How much you get depends on your specific circumstances, including whether you have a partner, if you're disabled, and whether you have caring responsibilities for young children.
If you're eligible for pension credit you'll also be able to get other benefits such as a free TV licence for over-75s or a council tax reduction.
Check out more in our pension credit guide including who's eligible and how to claim.
The quickest way to see what benefits you may be able to claim is to use one of the three benefit calculators recommended by Gov.uk.
Each one is free to use. They are:
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Before using the tools, make sure you have key financial information to hand, such as bank and savings statements, and information on pensions and existing benefits.
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Online Money team?
Email us at money@the-sun.co.uk