By Milena Atanassova Independent Financial Adviser

As part of our understanding pensions series, financial adviser Milena Atanassova outlines how people can find out how their pensions are performing.

The full entitlement to a state pension would be given only to a person with enough qualifying years.

For men the number of qualifying years for a full state pension entitlement is 44, for women aged 60 before 2010, the figure is 39.

From 2010 the number of qualifying years for women will rise to 44 in line with the increase in the retirement age.

UK PENSIONS IN CRISIS Key pension facts and figures at a glance In pictures

If anyone retires with less than 25% of the qualifying years for a full pension entitlement, then this person will not get any basic state pension income.

Controversially, years when a woman has paid the married woman's reduced rate of National Insurance (NI) do not count towards qualifying years for their own state pension.

The married women's reduced stamp, as it was known, was introduced in 1948.

The scheme was closed to new entrants in 1978.

An estimated 100,000 women, according to figures from the Inland Revenue, are still paying the reduced rate.

Individuals can get a forecast of their state pension rights by completing form BR19, which can be obtained from any social security office.

This will also include pension rights built up under the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS), the additional pension scheme run by the government.

The form should be sent to:

Benefits Agency, Retirement Pensions Forecasting & Advice Unit, Pensions and Overseas Benefits Directorate, Tyneview Park, Newcastle Upon-Tyne, NE99 1BA

Alternatively the form can be completed over the telephone by calling 0845 3000168.

A pension forecast will then be issued within 40 days from receipt of the completed form. You can also download the form from the Pension Service website (see link on right).

Occupational and company pensions

Occupational pension schemes are set up by employers for the benefit of employees.

Despite the fact that the employer is responsible for sponsoring the scheme, it is run by a board of trustees who are responsible for ensuring the payment of benefits.

Members of occupational schemes are often issued with an explanatory booklet setting out the benefits of the scheme.

If a member has a question about the scheme then the human resources department ought to be able to answer any questions.

Alternatively, the trustees could be contacted directly - their contact details ought to be on the annual statement of benefits.

Personal and stakeholder pensions

Personal pension schemes are money purchase arrangements and members contribute each month, or less frequently, into their plan.

With these type of schemes the money is invested in the provider's pension funds.

The amount of pension payable from this scheme is dependent upon:

• The amount of money paid into the scheme
• The investment performance of the pension provider's funds
• The annuity rate - the factor used to convert the accumulated pension fund into annual income - at the date of retirement.

Stakeholder pensions have been available since 6 April, 2001 and are, in effect, low cost personal pensions with a greater degree of built-in flexibility.

With stakeholders, legislation requires that members are allowed to contribute regularly or occasionally, according to their personal, as well as financial, situation.

To find out the value of their plan and what it will pay in retirement, members of stakeholder or personal pension schemes need to write to their provider.

Further information:

Milena Atanassova works for Independent Financial Advisers (IFA) Rickmann Tooze

Have you found it easy to get information about the value of your pension fund? Have trustees or the scheme provider co-operated with your requests? Do you have enough access to information about your pension fund?

Your comments:

I pay voluntary contributions but I get no statement of payments I make or replies to letters. It is a disgrace. My contributions invested would now be worth a small fortune. Now I don't know what to expect!
David, UK/USA

It is grossly unfair that employers who have taken pension holidays when investment returns were high are now queing up to scrap final salary pension schemes. If those organisations had kept up their financial committment along with employees who in most cases still had to pay into the schemes, there would not be the shortfall now that has resulted in employers closing their final salary schemes.
Andy Maguire, UK

When is ANY political party going to comment regarding the �5billion a year that Gordon Brown has taken from pension funds since 1997? Do opposition parties intend to restore the tax credit if they take power from the current government?
Ian, UK

The statement from the Government does not address the situation such as with Equitable Life where people have saved for years only to have the value of their fund reduced by 16% at a stroke to cover the high administration costs, salaries and bonuses paid to executives of a company that is not generating any new business or creating wealth. How can young people be encouraged to save all their working lives when this type of "legalised mugging" is allowed to take place? The Government statement on pensions is a typical fudge, depressing and offers no hope for those approaching retirement age.
Derek Maule, UK

I am mid forties and have a Company Pension, and make AVC's every Month 0f �90. The projected pension i will receive is pitiful, I worry for the future that i may be living on the breadline as i feel sure there will not be a State Pension by the time I retire...
Neil Fletcher, uk

I have been paying voluntary contributions for 20 years and usually get a reciept one year after payment.Your articles have encourged me to ask them how much is my pension worth.Hopefully they will reply before I retire.
MARK, Hong Kong

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