People can choose to get their state pension payment at a different time07:32, 02 Jun 2026State pension rule change affecting people turning 66People nearing the state pension age may face an unexpected choice as they don’t have to claim their payments as soon as they turn 67. There is the option to defer your payments and start claiming it at a later date, which could boost your payments but may also come with financial risks.‌Pensions Minister Torsten Bell addressed the topic in a Parliamentary question, after Labour MP Andrew Lewin asked how long people defer their state pension for on average. The DWP minister explained: “The department does not know that a person has deferred until they submit a claim for their State Pension.”‌He explained that this makes it impossible to know how many people have deferred their state pension, how long they deferred it for and even how many people died before they got true value from their deferred payments. Bell said that claiming or deferring a state pension is the responsibility of the claimant themselves. He added: “Deferring entitlement to the State Pension is a personal choice based on an individual’s circumstances.‌“It is the claimant’s responsibility to decide when to claim, including whether to defer it. Whether deferring a claim to the State Pension is the right decision will depend on a range of factors including, for example, length of deferral, employment, dependents, tax position before and after claiming the State Pension, and entitlement to other benefits.”In the 2023/2024 tax year, nearly 42,000 people deferred their state pension according to figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request from Royal London. According to Which?, this showed one in four had postponed their state pension by five years or more while 4,400 deferred it by over a decade.‌Deferring your state pension can potentially increase its worth over time. This works by taking the amount you would have received and letting it compound, allowing you to claim it later as a one-off payment or increase your regular state pension payments.However, you must defer for at least nine weeks to qualify for the increased payments. Your state pension automatically defers if you do not claim it at state pension age.There is no time limit for when you have to claim your state pension, although experts note if you choose to increase your regular payments, you may need to consider if you’ll live long enough to ‘break even’ on the amount you deferred. Bell continued: “Deferring can affect the amount and timing of payment, and this is a decision only the claimant can make.‌“Individuals are signposted to deferral information on the Government website when they are invited to claim their State Pension; and an invitation to claim letter is issued up to four months prior to a customer reaching State Pension age.”Deferring your state pension can also affect other benefits, your current financial position and the taxes you may need to pay in the future. Because of the wide-ranging and significant impact this choice can have, Bell highlighted the department’s official advice.Article continues belowHe said: “The Department encourages people to seek independent financial advice before making a decision to defer their State Pension and this is set out at: www.gov.uk/plan-retirement-income/get-financial-advice.”