COPE vs Personal Pension

[Maylix]

Hi Folks
Been looking at my state pension forecast and COPE and it all looks a bit complicated, but.....
Lets say
I'm retiring next year and my
state pension forecast is the max £164.35 pw and
my COPE is £43 pw, and
the personal pension that my SERPS contributions went into is forecasting a pension of £1470 pa (i.e. ~£28pw),

Does that mean |would have been better off not contracting out (because £28<£43)?

I have a feeling that the answer is 'It's not that simple' and 'You're better off having contracted out anyway', but if that's the case I'm looking for a simple way to calculate how much better off (or worse off) I am.

Any help much appreciated.
TIA
Maylix

[mearnsfool]

To be honest most people do not know if they have been contracted out in their working life and if you had been contracted out at other times in your working life after 1978 than the employment period you have identified yes it is more complicated than that.

On the other hand if this was your only employment that was contracted out, yes you have made a loss by being contracted out and obtaining that payment via your non state penion.