Publicity drive for state pension shake-up The government has launched a new campaign to raise awareness of big changes to the state pension which are due to come into force in 2016. The publicity drive is aimed at encouraging those close to retirement to find out how they will be affected by the revamp of the state pension, which will roll out in 500 days. The reforms will see the current basic state pension and the state second pension replaced with a single-tier, or flat-rate, pension of about £150 per week for everyone below state pension age as of April 2016. Iain Duncan Smith, work and pensions secretary, said: "The new state pension is one of this government's boldest reforms. It will give people clarity over their retirement income, significantly reduce the means testing of pensioners and put right inequalities affecting women, low earners and the self-employed. It's of paramount importance that people have confidence that planning for their future and saving into a pension is a worthwhile enterprise. The winners from the reforms include the self-employed, who currently do not qualify for the state second pension, and those who spend long periods out of the paid workforce, for example because they are caring for others. For example, the government suggests that up to 650,000 women will be £8 a week better off under the new single-tier pension in the first ten years after its introduction. However, as the reform is also cost neutral, meaning that overall spending on state pensions will not increase, there will be those who can expect less under the new system. Among the losers are higher earners who will no longer be able to build up a state second pension through "contracting out." Married spouses and civil partners will also no longer be able to rely on inheriting their partner's pensions as they do under the current system. Instead, entitlement will be based on an individual's national insurance record. Qualification for the new state pension will also mean 35 years of national insurance contributions or credits, up from the current 30 years, with a new contribution record of 10 years. People due to reach state pension age within the next five years are able to get a forecast of their entitlement and what they may be able to do to increase the level of their state pension before they retire by visiting gov.uk/state-pension-statement.