Deferred pension

Pension history

YearFrank's pensionMonica's pension
if not deferred
10.4% increment
201310082.808091
201410353.728308864
201510556.008471881
201610730.208610895
201710930.928771912
201811258.529034940
201911539.849260963
202011884.609537992
202112083.2496961008
202212457.1299961040
202313716.04110061144
202414783.08118621234
202515245.8812234368 (3%)

Note that the "triple lock" increase in 2025 was 15245.88/14783.08 = 1.0313, i.e. 3.13%.

Monica's pension in late 2013 was £622.36 for 4 weeks = £8091/year.
Frank's pension in late 2013 was £775.60 for 4 weeks = £10083/year.
So Monica's pension, if not deferred, could have been 8091/10082.80 = 0.8025 times my pension for each year. This probably isn't exact since the basic pension and additional pension are often increased by different percentages, and the proportion of basic and additional components in our pensions may be different (Frank's' is about 60% basic and 40% additional).
The third column of the table is calculated from the second by multiplying by 0.80.

See the section below for explanation of the fourth column of the table.

My pension now (April 2025) is £293.19/week = £15246/year. This is an increase of 15246/10083 = 1.512.
If Monica's (not deferred) pension increased at the same rate it would be 8091*1.512 = £12234 (useful cross-check).

Value of pension now

There are (at least) two different methods that the DWP might be using to calculate the vale of a deferred pension.
I have used different background colours to distinguish the two methods and results based on them (yellow for DWP and blue for BBC).

According to the DWP Decision Makers Guide:

For periods of deferment beginning on or after 6.4.05, the rate of RP is increased by 1/5% of the weekly rate of RP that would have been payable for every incremental period had entitlement not been deferred.

This seems to mean that the monetary increments are added together, and then added to what the undeferred pension would have been at the time of the claim.
The table above shows these increments.

Total increment is 864+881+895+912+940+963+992+1008+1040+1144+1234+368 = £11241.
So pension now would be 12234+11241 = £23475.

A year ago the increment would have been 864+881+895+912+940+963+992+1008+1040+1144+356 = £9995.
And the pension a year ago would have been 11863+9995 = £21858.
The triple lock increase for 2025 would increase this to 21858*1.0313 = £22542.

According to an expert on this BBC web page:

For every five weeks you put off claiming you can earn an increase to your state pension of one per cent. These increases are not compound.The increase is applied to the amount of the basic state pension at the time you decide to claim it, not to the amount when you reached state pension age. Thus you would benefit from intervening annual increments.

I interpret this to mean that the percentages are added together and then applied to what the undeferred pension would have been at the time of the claim.

For a deferment period of 11.3 years (from end of 2013 to April 2025), this would mean a total increase of 11.3*10.4 = 117.52%.
Applying this to an undeferred pension of £12234 gives a pension now of 12234 + 12234*1.1752 = £26611.

A year ago, the deferment period would have been 10.3 years, and the total increase would have been 10.3*10.4 = 107.12%.
Applying this to an undeferred pension of £11862 gives a pension a year ago of 11862 + 11862*1.0712 = £24569.
The triple lock increase for 2025 would increase this to 24568*1.0313 = £25537.

Backdating

I'm guessing that backdating the claim by 12 months will be treated as though you had made the claim 12 months ago.

Your pension a year ago £21858 gross. Unless you claim the pension late in a tax year, the lump sum from backdating will likely all be taxed (you don't get a backdated personal allowance!). So you would probably get a net lump sum of 21858*0.8 = £17486.

With the 2025 triple lock increase the pension would become 21858*1.0313 = £22542 gross, which is £20548 net.
With a life expectancy of 16 years, you would get a total of 17486 + 20548*16 = £346254 net.

If you don't backdate, your pension now would be £23475 gross, which is £21294/year net.
With a life expectancy of 16 years, you would get a total of 21294*16 = £340704 net.

So if you backdate you would get 346254-340704 = £5550 more in total, but your net pension would be reduced by 21294-20548 = £746/year.
As a cross check: 17486-746*16 = 5550.

Your pension a year ago would have been £24569 gross. Unless you claim the pension late in a tax year, the lump sum from backdating will likely all be taxed (you don't get a backdated personal allowance!). So you would probably get a net lump sum of 24569*0.8 = £19655.

With the 2025 triple lock increase the pension would become 24569*1.0313 = £25338 gross, which is £22784 net.
With a life expectancy of 16 years, you would get a total of 19655 + 22784*16 = £384199 net.

If you don't backdate, your pension now would be £26611 gross, which is £23803/year net.
With a life expectancy of 16 years, you would get a total of 23803*16 = £380848 net.

So if you backdate you would get 384199-380848 = £3351 more in total, but your net pension would be reduced by 23803-22784 = £1019/year.
As a cross check: 19655-1019*16 = 3351.

Value of pension if deferred further

The tables below shows the expected pension for different deferment periods (in years from now).
The "-1" row shows the pension if taken now with 12 months backdating.

Deferment periodGross pensionNet pension
-12254220548
02347521294
12591623247
22835825200
33079927153
43324129106


Deferment periodGross pensionNet pension
-12533822784
02661123803
12937926017
23214628231
33491430445
43768132659

Balancing pensions

My pension is about to increase to  £15246/year gross = £14711/year net.

If you don't backdate, your pension will be about £23475/year gross £21294/year net, which is 21294-14711 = £6583/year greater than mine, or £105328 over 16 years. To balance our incomes, you could transfer 105328/2 = £52664 to me.

If you backdate, your pension will be about £22542 gross £20548/year net, which is 20548-14711 = £5837/year greater than mine, or £93392 over 16 years. To balance our incomes, you could transfer 93392/2 = £46696 to me.
You would also get a lump sum of £17486 for the backdated year. So total to transfer to me would be 46696+17486/2 = £55439.

If you don't backdate, your pension will be about £26611/year gross £23803/year net, which is 23803-14711 = £9092/year greater than mine, or £145472 over 16 years. To balance our incomes, you could transfer 145472/2 = £72736 to me.

If you backdate, your pension will be about £25338 gross  £22784/year net, which is 22784-14711 = £8073/year greater than mine, or £129168 over 16 years. To balance our incomes, you could transfer 129168/2 = £64584 to me.
You would also get a lump sum of £19655 for the backdated year. So total to transfer to me would be 64584+19655/2 = £74412.

Capital available

We should have about £820000 capital available after sale of the houses, i.e. £410000 each if shared equally.
The table below shows how the capital could be shared to balance the pensions.

Life expectancyBackdated?Lump sum from backdatingTransfer to FCapital MCapital F
16Yes1748655439372048
410000+17486-55439
465439
410000+55439
16No052666357334
410000-52666
462666
41000+52666
10Yes1748637928389559
410000+17486-37928
447928
410000+37928
10No032916377084
410000-32916
442916
410000+32916


Life expectancyBackdated?Lump sum from backdatingTransfer to FCapital MCapital F
16Yes1965574416355239
410000+19655-74416
484416
410000+74417
16No072736337264
410000-72736
482736
410000+72736
10Yes1965550196379460
410000+19655-50196
460196
410000+50196
10No045460364540
410000-45460
455460
410000-45460

When to stop deferring

Tables showing (in today's money) the total amount that would be received from the pension for various life expectancies and deferment periods.

According to the ONS your life expectancy is 16 years (to age 89).

Assumptions:

Neither of these assumptions seems to affect the optimum deferment period significantly (I've tried varying the assumptions). Note that (in the table) varying the deferment period by a year or two either way doesn't make much difference to the total amount received.

Total amounts received are in £1000.
"Life expectancy" and "Deferment period" are in years from now.
Green indicates optimum time to stop deferment.
Capital transfers are not taken into account.

Life expectancy / Deferment period-101234567891011
10223213209202190174155132




15326319325328326320311297




16346341349353353349342330




17367362372378380378373363




22470468488504516524528528524



25531532558580597611621627629628622

30634639





804812816817813


Life expectancy / Deferment period-101234567891011
10247238234226213196174148




15361357364367365359348333




16384381390395396391383370




17407404416423426424418407




22521524546564578587592593589



25589595624648669685697704706705699

30703714





903912917918914

The tables below takes the transfers into account.

Life expectancy / Deferment period-1012345678
1018518017116014713111495

15273270266279251241229215

16291288285279272263252239

17308306304299293285275262

22397396399399398394389382

25449450455459461460458453

30537540


570572573571568


Life expectancy / Deferment period-1012345678
10197193183172158142124103

15291289285279271260248233

16310308305300293284272259

17329327326322316308297285

22422424428429429426421414

25479481489493496497495492

30572578


615619621621618

Pension awarded

Pension from 9 May 2024 to 9 Apr 2025 is £484.88/wk.

Pension from 10 April 2025 to 26 July 2025 is £497.19/wk = £25853.88/year. The "BBC" based calculation above predicted a value of £25537/year - 1.2% less.

Payments expected

4 week period dates appear to be from Thursdays to Wednesdays, for example 17 Apr 2025 to 14 May 2025 and 15 May 2025 to 11 Jun 2025.
Payment is in arrears, for example the period 15 May 2025 to 11 Jun 2025 is payable on 11 Jun 2025.
The annual increase is applied from the first Monday following the start of the tax year on 6th April, e.g. 7 Apr 2025. This means that the 4 week period straddling the 6th April will be be paid partly at the old rate and partly at the new rate.

PeriodPayableWeeksRate £/weekPaymentTotal
9 May 2024 to 6 Apr 2025
47.57484.8823066.4323066.43
7 Apr 2025 to 16 Apr 2025
1.43497.19710.2723776.70
17 Apr 2025 to 14 May 202514 May 20254497.191988.7625765.46
15 May 2025 to 11 Jun 202511 Jun 20254497.191988.7627754.22
12 Jun 2025 to 9 Jul 20259 Jul 20254497.191988.7629742.98
Payments received
DateAmount £
2 June 20256721.62 
11 June 20256571.75
8 July 20256889.96
8 July 20258605.40
9 July 2025959.08
Total29747.81