There is no way that you can claim the State Retirement Pension before you reach pension age, but you may be able to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance or Incapacity Benefit. See the Directgov website for more information on the financial support that may be available to you. www.direct.gov.uk
The state pension age is currently 65 for men and 60 for women.
The government has however announced changes to the state pension age which mean that the pension age for women will rise gradually from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020.
Between 2024 and 2046 the state pension age will rise again for both men and women.
To work out your state pension age and the date from which you can expect to get your State Retirement Pension see the online calculator on the Directgov site.
