How to Fill Out and Submit the UK State Pension Application Form (BR1)

To apply for the UK State Pension, you claim it yourself through one of three routes: online, by phone, or by post. It does not start automatically when you reach State Pension age. The Pension Service posts you an invitation letter with a code you need for the online service, and you can begin the process up to four months before your State Pension age.¹ The full new State Pension currently pays £241.30 per week, though your actual amount depends on your National Insurance record.²

When to Start and What Arrives in the Post

The window opens four months before you reach State Pension age. Around that time the Pension Service sends an invitation letter containing a code required for the online claim. If you are within three months of your State Pension age and no letter has arrived, you can request the code.¹

Before you claim, it is worth checking your forecast on GOV.UK’s “Check your State Pension forecast” service. It shows how much you are on track to receive, how many qualifying years you have, and whether paying voluntary National Insurance contributions would increase the figure. You will need a Government Gateway or GOV.UK One Login account, and the HMRC app shows the same information.³ You need at least 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to receive any new State Pension, and 35 for the full amount.⁴

What You Need Before You Start

Have these ready before you open the application:

The invitation code from your letter (or a code you have requested).
Your National Insurance number, which appears on payslips, tax letters, and your Personal Tax Account.
Your bank or building society account number and sort code. If you live abroad, you will need the IBAN and BIC instead.
Your spouse or civil partner’s date of birth and National Insurance number, used to work out any shared or inherited entitlements.
The dates of any marriage, divorce, civil partnership, dissolution, or bereavement, which can affect how your entitlement is calculated.

The Three Ways to Claim

Online

The quickest route is the “Get your State Pension” service on GOV.UK. Enter the invitation code from your letter, work through the sections, review your answers before submitting, and save the reference number the service gives you for any future correspondence.¹

By Phone

If you are within four months of your State Pension age, you can phone the Pension Service and an agent will take the claim on the call. This route suits anyone who would rather not use the online form or who wants to ask questions about their record while claiming.¹

By Post

There is no downloadable claim form for the new State Pension. To claim by post you have to phone the Pension Service and ask them to send you one. Once you have filled it in, send it to:

Freepost DWP Pensions Service 3

That is the whole address. No postcode, no stamp, and nothing else written on the envelope.¹

If You Live Outside the UK

Contact the International Pension Centre rather than the domestic Pension Service. An international claim form is available on GOV.UK, and the address to return it to is printed on the form.⁵ Response times for international queries are currently longer than usual.⁶

A Note on Form BR1

If you have seen references to Form BR1, that form is for the older basic State Pension only. It applies to men born before 6 April 1951 and women born before 6 April 1953.⁷ Anyone who reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016 is on the new State Pension and should use the online, phone, or postal process described above rather than BR1.

Choosing to Defer

You do not have to claim as soon as you become eligible. Deferring for at least nine weeks increases your eventual weekly payment permanently. Every nine weeks of deferral adds 1% to the weekly amount, which works out to roughly 5.8% for a full year.⁸ Because the uplift is permanent but the skipped payments are gone, whether it pays off depends on your other income and how long you expect to draw the pension.

After You Submit

The Pension Service sends a decision letter confirming your weekly amount and when your first payment will land. That first payment should arrive within five weeks of your reaching State Pension age.⁹ After that, payments arrive every four weeks. The day of the week is set by the last two digits of your National Insurance number:

00 to 19: Monday
20 to 39: Tuesday
40 to 59: Wednesday
60 to 79: Thursday
80 to 99: Friday

Keep the decision letter with your financial records. It is the official statement of your award and you may need the details if you contact the Pension Service later.¹⁰

1
GOV.UK. The New State Pension: How to Claim
2
GOV.UK. The New State Pension: What You’ll Get
3
GOV.UK. Check Your State Pension Forecast
4
nidirect. Your National Insurance Record and New State Pension
5
GOV.UK. State Pension If You Retire Abroad
6
GOV.UK. International Pension Centre
7
GOV.UK. The Basic State Pension Claim Form
8
nidirect. Deferring State Pension and What You Will Get
9
GOV.UK. How We Pay New State Pension
10
GOV.UK. The Basic State Pension: When You’re Paid