State pensioners warned over DWP which shows UK is 'broken'

State pensioners have been warned over a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rule with critics fuming it shows the UK is "broken". On TikTok, Natalie Heptinstall, questioned why the state pension provides those with a similar weekly allowance as those in receipt of benefits.

She said: "Now that I am in my 50s, I have started to think about pensions and retirement a little bit more. The full state pension is £221 a week but if you have spent all your life on the dole and never paid any National Insurance contributions, then you don’t receive the full state pension but you receive pension credit which will top your pension up to £218 a week.

"That is just £3 less than if you have worked and paid 30 years worth of National Insurance contributions. And if you receive pension credit then you still get your winter fuel allowance." In a separate video, Ms Heptinstall said: "Do I have sympathy for people who are genuinely sick and unable to work? Of course I do.

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"But do I also think that there’s a large amount of people that are claiming sick pay when they are perfectly capable of work? Yes I do." Your State Pension amount depends on your National Insurance record. The full rate of new State Pension is £221.20 a week. Your amount could be different depending on if you were contracted out before 2016, the number of National Insurance qualifying years you have and if you paid into the Additional State Pension before 2016.

You might need more National Insurance qualifying years to increase your State Pension. You may have been contracted out. While you were contracted out, you or your employer paid more into your workplace or private pension and less into your State Pension.

If you were contracted out, you will usually need more than 35 qualifying years to get the full rate of new State Pension.