Why it can pay to delay when you start drawing your UK state pension

For people in poor health it may be better to draw their pension as soon as it is available because they may not live long enough to recoup the money they gave up. Photograph: Rosemary Roberts/Alamy

You can boost your weekly state pension by delaying when you start to draw it. For some people this will represent a very good deal – but it all depends on how long you live for once you start receiving it.

We each have a date from which we can claim our state pension. Once we do, we can receive a weekly sum based on our national insurance contributions and the level of the state pension at the time.