Top News

Some people may qualify for additional state pension payments ahead of reaching the UK's state pension age by claiming an overseas pension. The Department for Work and Pensions is encouraging British citizens who have lived or been employed in any of 32 nations to come forward.

Those who fulfil specific requirements could be entitled to a state pension from the country where they previously lived or worked. Anyone who thinks they might qualify should get in touch with the DWP, which can forward their details to the appropriate overseas authorities who will determine eligibility for extra state pension payments.

Official Government guidance states: "You may be able to claim an overseas state pension before you're UK State Pension age. Your eligibility will depend on that country's rules. If you lived or worked in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, you can check the European Commission website to find out the pension age for the country you lived or worked in (and) how long you need to have lived or worked in the country to be eligible."

This may apply to you if you lived in any of these countries:

• Denmark
• Finland
• Iceland
• Liechtenstein
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Sweden

It may also apply to you if you worked in any of these countries:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Estonia
• France
• Germany
• Gibraltar
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Switzerland

Each of these nations has distinct criteria and regulations regarding who qualifies for a state pension. For instance, according to the European Commission website, anyone who has been employed in Belgium is entitled to a retirement pension.

However, the sum is contingent on your length of employment, salary, and family situation. This pension can be claimed as early as 60, provided certain conditions are fulfilled.

Likewise, anyone who has worked or resided in Sweden may be eligible for a public pension based on the income they were taxed on.

If you have lived or worked in one of the mentioned countries, it's necessary to notify the DWP and apply for a foreign pension by filling out a form on the Gov.uk website and sending it to the UK's International Pension Centre.

If you've lived or worked in a country not specified, you might need to apply directly to their pension scheme.