Year | Frank's pension | Monica's pension if not deferred | 10.4% increment |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | 10082.80 | 8091 | |
2014 | 10353.72 | 8308 | 864 |
2015 | 10556.00 | 8471 | 881 |
2016 | 10730.20 | 8610 | 895 |
2017 | 10930.92 | 8771 | 912 |
2018 | 11258.52 | 9034 | 940 |
2019 | 11539.84 | 9260 | 963 |
2020 | 11884.60 | 9537 | 992 |
2021 | 12083.24 | 9696 | 1008 |
2022 | 12457.12 | 9996 | 1040 |
2023 | 13716.04 | 11006 | 1144 |
2024 | 14783.08 | 11862 | 1234 |
2025 | 15245.88 | 12234 | 368 (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).
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:
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.
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 period | Gross pension | Net pension |
---|---|---|
-1 | 22542 | 20548 |
0 | 23475 | 21294 |
1 | 25916 | 23247 |
2 | 28358 | 25200 |
3 | 30799 | 27153 |
4 | 33241 | 29106 |
Deferment period | Gross pension | Net pension |
---|---|---|
-1 | 25338 | 22784 |
0 | 26611 | 23803 |
1 | 29379 | 26017 |
2 | 32146 | 28231 |
3 | 34914 | 30445 |
4 | 37681 | 32659 |
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.
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 expectancy | Backdated? | Lump sum from backdating | Transfer to F | Capital M | Capital F |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | Yes | 17486 | 55439 | 372048 410000+17486-55439 | 465439 410000+55439 |
16 | No | 0 | 52666 | 357334 410000-52666 | 462666 41000+52666 |
10 | Yes | 17486 | 37928 | 389559 410000+17486-37928 | 447928 410000+37928 |
10 | No | 0 | 32916 | 377084 410000-32916 | 442916 410000+32916 |
Life expectancy | Backdated? | Lump sum from backdating | Transfer to F | Capital M | Capital F |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | Yes | 19655 | 74416 | 355239 410000+19655-74416 | 484416 410000+74417 |
16 | No | 0 | 72736 | 337264 410000-72736 | 482736 410000+72736 |
10 | Yes | 19655 | 50196 | 379460 410000+19655-50196 | 460196 410000+50196 |
10 | No | 0 | 45460 | 364540 410000-45460 | 455460 410000-45460 |
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 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 223 | 213 | 209 | 202 | 190 | 174 | 155 | 132 | |||||
15 | 326 | 319 | 325 | 328 | 326 | 320 | 311 | 297 | |||||
16 | 346 | 341 | 349 | 353 | 353 | 349 | 342 | 330 | |||||
17 | 367 | 362 | 372 | 378 | 380 | 378 | 373 | 363 | |||||
22 | 470 | 468 | 488 | 504 | 516 | 524 | 528 | 528 | 524 | ||||
25 | 531 | 532 | 558 | 580 | 597 | 611 | 621 | 627 | 629 | 628 | 622 | ||
30 | 634 | 639 | 804 | 812 | 816 | 817 | 813 |
Life expectancy / Deferment period | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 247 | 238 | 234 | 226 | 213 | 196 | 174 | 148 | |||||
15 | 361 | 357 | 364 | 367 | 365 | 359 | 348 | 333 | |||||
16 | 384 | 381 | 390 | 395 | 396 | 391 | 383 | 370 | |||||
17 | 407 | 404 | 416 | 423 | 426 | 424 | 418 | 407 | |||||
22 | 521 | 524 | 546 | 564 | 578 | 587 | 592 | 593 | 589 | ||||
25 | 589 | 595 | 624 | 648 | 669 | 685 | 697 | 704 | 706 | 705 | 699 | ||
30 | 703 | 714 | 903 | 912 | 917 | 918 | 914 |
The tables below takes the transfers into account.
Life expectancy / Deferment period | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 185 | 180 | 171 | 160 | 147 | 131 | 114 | 95 | ||
15 | 273 | 270 | 266 | 279 | 251 | 241 | 229 | 215 | ||
16 | 291 | 288 | 285 | 279 | 272 | 263 | 252 | 239 | ||
17 | 308 | 306 | 304 | 299 | 293 | 285 | 275 | 262 | ||
22 | 397 | 396 | 399 | 399 | 398 | 394 | 389 | 382 | ||
25 | 449 | 450 | 455 | 459 | 461 | 460 | 458 | 453 | ||
30 | 537 | 540 | 570 | 572 | 573 | 571 | 568 |
Life expectancy / Deferment period | -1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 197 | 193 | 183 | 172 | 158 | 142 | 124 | 103 | ||
15 | 291 | 289 | 285 | 279 | 271 | 260 | 248 | 233 | ||
16 | 310 | 308 | 305 | 300 | 293 | 284 | 272 | 259 | ||
17 | 329 | 327 | 326 | 322 | 316 | 308 | 297 | 285 | ||
22 | 422 | 424 | 428 | 429 | 429 | 426 | 421 | 414 | ||
25 | 479 | 481 | 489 | 493 | 496 | 497 | 495 | 492 | ||
30 | 572 | 578 | 615 | 619 | 621 | 621 | 618 |
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.
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.
Period | Payable | Weeks | Rate £/week | Payment | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
9 May 2024 to 6 Apr 2025 | 47.57 | 484.88 | 23066.43 | 23066.43 | |
7 Apr 2025 to 16 Apr 2025 | 1.43 | 497.19 | 710.27 | 23776.70 | |
17 Apr 2025 to 14 May 2025 | 14 May 2025 | 4 | 497.19 | 1988.76 | 25765.46 |
15 May 2025 to 11 Jun 2025 | 11 Jun 2025 | 4 | 497.19 | 1988.76 | 27754.22 |
12 Jun 2025 to 9 Jul 2025 | 9 Jul 2025 | 4 | 497.19 | 1988.76 | 29742.98 |
Date | Amount £ |
---|---|
2 June 2025 | 6721.62 |
11 June 2025 | 6571.75 |
8 July 2025 | 6889.96 |
8 July 2025 | 8605.40 |
9 July 2025 | 959.08 |
Total | 29747.81 |