According to the Department for Work and Pensions, a record number of people paid National Insurance Contributions in the year to April 2000. The result of more people paying National Insurance is more people being entitled to State pensions at retirement.
The DWP commented that the number of women eligible for State pensions has rapidly increased, whilst the numbers of eligible men has remained at the same level.
Our View
State pensions regularly get slated for being 'worthless' but a large number of people rely on them as their only income during retirement. The increased numbers of women gaining State pension entitlement is almost certainly down to more women deciding to work increased numbers of hours, resulting in them earning above the National Insurance threshold.
The rules surrounding eligibility for State pensions can be complex for certain types of people, especially women who paid a reduced National Insurance contribution over a number of years.
To find out what your State pension is likely to be, download our BR19 form and send it to the Retirement Pension Forecasting Unit.