The state pension forms the bedrock of many people's retirement income and with the cost of a "comfortable" retirement having surged, maximising entitlement will be more important than ever.
People can only get the state pension once they've reached state pension age, but those yet to retire can take steps to boost their forecast in advance.
It's possible to check how much a person is set to get online, by getting a state pension forecast.
Provided their state pension age is more than 30 days away, it's possible to get a state pension forecast by post.
People can check their state pension forecast online via the government website
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The state pension is linked to an individual's National Insurance record, and typically 35 National Insurance qualifying years are needed for the full new state pension. For the full basic state pension, 30 years are usually required.
Speaking to GB News, Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown suggested five ways people could increase the amount of state pension they can get in retirement.
1. Check state pension entitlement
For those wanting to boost their state pension entitlement, checking one's state pension entitlement may well be a good place to start.
Ms Morrissey said: "Many people get less state pension than they think because of gaps in their National Insurance history."
The state pension forecast will tell a person how much they are on track to get.
"Go online to get a state pension forecast and it will tell you how much you are on track to receive and you can check to see if there are any gaps or mistakes on your record that need to be rectified," the retirement expert said.
2. Check to see if you can fill gaps with benefits
While it's possible to pay for gaps in a National Insurance record, some may be able to claim National Insurance credits - meaning they don't need to part with their cash to boost the retirement income.
Ms Morrissey said: "If you do have gaps in your record check to see if you can fill them by backdating a benefit claim.
"For instance, benefits such as Child Benefit, Universal Credit and Jobseekers Allowance come with National Insurance credits that allow you to build up your state pension entitlement while you claim them."
3. Consider voluntary National Insurance contributions
If a person has gaps in their National Insurance record and they aren't entitled to credits, they may be able to make voluntary payments to plug the gaps.
Ms Morrissey explained: "You can usually buy voluntary NI contributions for the past six tax years but there is currently an opportunity for men born after April 5, 1951 or a woman born after April 5, 1953 to plug gaps going back to 2006.
"The ability to do this expires on April 5, 2025 so if you think you can benefit from this then be sure to get in contact in plenty of time.
"However, it’s really important to check with the DWP Future Pension Centre first to make sure you really will benefit from the extra credits.
"If you were contracted out at any point in your working life, then you may find you get less state pension than you thought. "
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4. Defer taking the state pension
While state pension age must be reached to get the state pension, it doesn't mean it has to be claimed then.
"If you don’t need the money right now you can defer taking it," Ms Morrissey explained.
For every nine weeks deferred, people who get the new state pension will receive the equivalent of one per cent extra - equating to just under 5.8 per cent for every 52 weeks.
"So, if you were entitled to a full new state pension which is currently around £10,600 per year, you could get an extra £614 by deferring for a year," the retirement expert said.
"If you don’t need the extra money straightaway, then this could be a handy way of boosting how much you get when you actually do decide to leave work.
"However, you must be careful that by deferring you don’t affect your entitlement to other benefits you could receive such as Pension Credit."
5. Claim Pension Credit
Pension Credit is a top-up benefit, but hundreds of thousands of people entitled to it are not currently receiving it.
Ms Morrissey explained: "Pension Credit tops up a person’s income to a minimum of £201.05 per week for single pensioners and to £306.85 for couples.
"It also acts as a gateway to other support such as help with heating bills and council tax. If you are over 75 you can also get a free TV licence if you claim Pension Credit.
"This is a hugely useful benefit which remains massively underclaimed."
