Have the option to buy back years and retire at 60 from local authority with 40yrs. My question is how do I bridge the gap between 60 and receiving my state old age pension. I am paying and A stamp. I contacted the social welfare office who said I should be entitled to unemployment benefit for 9 months then must seek unemployment assistance which will then be means tested. When I do this they will see my pension lump sum in my bank account therefore I cant see them giving me anything. I have checked re supplementary pensions with my HR department. They seemed very vage and knew very little about it as they said must people apply for social welfare and they only pay this out if someone is not entitled to anything else. I would be working over 20 with local authority and thought I should be entitled to it but on reading any comments online it says it 'May' be paid. Also if I retire and get the 9 months unemployment benefit and then get refused unemployment assistance will my previous employer have washed their hands off me as it will be then 9 months down the line into my retirement. Hope this makes sense. Also do people retiring early get this all straightened out and confirmed before they retire or are you sitting retired and then realising you are not entitled to anything. Any comments from people with expierence of this would be must helpful as this will influence whether I buy these years back cause I don't want to be over paid to pension because I cant afford to leave early after all.