The State Pension was first introduced on 1 January 1909. The foundation of a universal contribution-related basic State Pension was laid in the 1940s. There are two main types of State Pension: contributory and non-contributory. Contributory State Pension consists of any combination of a Basic Pension (BP), Additional Pension (AP) or Graduated Retirement Benefit (GRB). Non-contributory pension consists of a Basic Pension plus any Graduated Retirement Benefit that is due. DWP data downloaded from NOMIS website