Inheriting State Pension from a husband, wife or civil partner
Short answer
Under the new State Pension you usually cannot inherit your late partner’s basic entitlement, which is based on your own record. You may inherit part of their Additional State Pension or half of a protected payment if the marriage or civil partnership began before 6 April 2016. You may also inherit extra State Pension or a lump sum from deferral. Remarrying before your own State Pension age ends any inheritance.
The basic rule
GOV.UK says you “might be able to inherit an extra payment on top of your new State Pension” if you are widowed. You cannot inherit anything if you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age (GOV.UK: Inheriting or increasing State Pension from a spouse or civil partner). nidirect publishes the same rules for Northern Ireland (nidirect: Inheriting new State Pension).
Three things that can be inherited
| What | Conditions on GOV.UK | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Additional State Pension | Marriage or civil partnership began before 6 April 2016, and your partner reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, or died before that date but would have reached it on or after it | Part of it |
| Protected payment | Marriage or civil partnership began before 6 April 2016, and your partner reached State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, or died on or after 6 April 2016 | Half |
| Extra State Pension or lump sum from deferral | Partner died while deferring, or after claiming a deferred pension; partner reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016; you were married or in the civil partnership when they died | Part or all |
A protected payment is the amount above the full new State Pension (£241.30 a week in 2026/27). It is paid to people who would have got more under the old rules because of Additional State Pension built before 2016 (GOV.UK: New State Pension – what you'll get).
Worked example: protected payment
David reached State Pension age in 2020 and received the full new State Pension of £241.30 a week plus a protected payment of £30 a week (an illustrative figure). He married Joan in 1995 and died in 2026. Joan reaches State Pension age in 2028 and has not remarried. She can inherit half of the protected payment, £15 a week, on top of her own new State Pension. Her own pension is still worked out from her own NI record. Protected payments rise each year with CPI, so the inherited amount may be uprated.
Your own record still matters most
Because the new State Pension is based on your own record, a bereavement does not fill your gaps. Check your forecast. If you paid the married women’s reduced rate, GOV.UK says you might be able to increase your new State Pension. Use the partner record tool and our reduced rate guide.
What to do after a death
- Report the death. The Pension Service lists being widowed as a change you must report if you get State Pension (GOV.UK: Contact the Pension Service).
- Ask the Pension Service about “getting extra payments from a deceased husband, wife or civil partner’s State Pension”. The Pension Service lists this as one of the questions it handles.
- If you live in Northern Ireland, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre; if abroad, the International Pension Centre.
- Keep the marriage certificate and the date your partner reached State Pension age to hand.
People on the old system
If you or your partner reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, the old system’s inheritance rules for basic State Pension and Graduated Retirement Benefit may apply instead. These are different. The GOV.UK partner record tool tells you which rules apply when you enter both State Pension ages.
Frequently asked questions
Can I inherit my husband’s new State Pension?
Not the basic entitlement. You may inherit part of his Additional State Pension, half of a protected payment, or deferred State Pension, depending on dates.
Does remarrying affect inheritance?
Yes. You cannot inherit anything if you remarry or form a new civil partnership before you reach State Pension age.
How much of a protected payment can I inherit?
Half, if your marriage or civil partnership began before 6 April 2016 and the date conditions are met.
Sources
Official pages checked on 14 November 2026. Figures are for the 2026/27 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027) unless stated.
- GOV.UK: Inheriting or increasing State Pension from a spouse or civil partner
- nidirect: Inheriting new State Pension
- GOV.UK: New State Pension – what you'll get
- GOV.UK: Contact the Pension Service
- GOV.UK: Your partner's National Insurance record and your State Pension
- GOV.UK: Check your State Pension forecast