Millions may miss out on full flat rate State Pension

Millions of workers look set to miss out on the full flat rate State Pension, with career breaks to raise children a key factor, research has suggested. Nearly one in five (18 per cent) adults who were surveyed thought they would fail to qualify for the £155 a week, which is due to come into effect on 6 April 2016.The research surrounded expectations of making the equivalent of the 35 years of National Insurance contributions needed to qualify.Twenty one per cent of women believed they would miss out, compared with 14 per cent of men, according to Prudential.Nearly half of those who thought they would miss out said this was due to taking career breaks to raise children, although 20 per cent said they would not meet the target due to long-term illness.Only 14 per cent of adults who believed they wouldn't reach 35 years in employment said they would make voluntary additional NI contributions, to ensure they qualify for the full State Pension. {desktop}{/desktop}{mobile}{/mobile} Prudential's research was conducted among people born after 6 April 1950 and found that 27 per cent of those aged 55-plus were not aware of the State Pension reforms.This figure rose to 53 per cent, among the total adult population. There was also confusion around how much the new State Pension will be worth.On average, those surveyed believe it will be worth £125 a week, compared with the actual £155 a week, although one in nine (11 per cent) thought it would be £170 a week.Tim Fassam, pensions policy expert at Prudential, said: "The launch of the flat rate State Pension in April 2016 is designed, in part, to make it easier for people to understand how much they will receive from the State, in turn enabling them to better plan for their retirements."But inevitably, due to the changes to the rules on eligibility, there will still be differences in what people receive. It is therefore important for everyone to obtain all the relevant information so that they can make an informed decision, if they need to make up additional qualifying years through working longer or making voluntary contributions."However, people should not rely on the State Pension alone."Prudential's research found that more than two thirds (67 per cent) of adults expected to have worked for at least 35 years by the time they retired.Women believed they were less likely than men to reach this milestone, with 61 per cent believing they will reach 35 years, compared with 74 per cent of men.

Millions may miss out on full flat rate State Pension

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