State pension - quick question

Hardup_Hester

Hi
Can I also ask a question on this thread?
I'm 57 & can retire at 62 & half, when I got divorced my solicitor got a pension forcast for me & it was £54 a month, not a week, a month! It seems my ex decided to economise & changed my full stamp to a married womans stamp without my knowledge. We had our own business & as he had planned our divorce in advance he had moved all the money where it could not be found. Therefore I had a very small settlement, I still have a mortgage, I have no savings & don't earn enough to pay into a pension plan.
The ex meanwhile has a 6 bed property in the UK & 3 properties abroad & claims benefit. I hope to work til I'm 65 at least, I doubt if I'll be able to work much past that as my job involves a lot of heavy lifting.
Can I claim against his NI contributions?
Is there anyway I can increase my pension?
Or shall I have a great retirement party & then jump under a passing bus, lol.
Hester

seven-day-weekend

Yes, if you are divorced, you can claim 100% pension against his contributions.:D

TomsMom

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

It seems my ex decided to economise & changed my full stamp to a married womans stamp without my knowledge. We had our own business

Hester, I don't know much about this so perhaps someone else can comment but if you were a partner in the business does the married woman's stamp come into it?

OH and I had our own business. Previous to that I was employed and had paid the married woman's stamp for about 16 years or so after I returned to work once the children were at school. Once we had our own business (partners) we paid the self-employed stamp (Class 2/4??? - hubby not here to ask at the moment). As far as I know it was just one rate.

I took my state pension in January upon reaching 60, OH not yet reached retirement age. When I had my pension forecast last year I was a bit short of the full amount and I was given the opportunity of making up the difference with a one off payment, which we did. I think it was about £800 but we considered it worth it.

Might be worth getting in touch with the pensions people yourself.

EdInvestor

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

I'm 57 & can retire at 62 & half, when I got divorced my solicitor got a pension forcast for me & it was £54 a month, not a week, a month!

Suggest you get aother forecast as the rules have recently changed so you need only 30 years to get the full pension, not 39.In addition you should be qualified to buy up extra missing years if necessary.

https://www.thepensionservice.gov.uk

Hardup_Hester

Hi thanks for the advice, I will get a forecast as suggested, I'm not in a position to buy up any missing years, well not without giving up something important, like food, lol.

Hardup_Hester

Just a quick update & another question.
I've sorted out my pension forcast & after adding the ex's NI contributions in my forcast is now £90 plus a week, much better than the original £54 a month.
My question now is, is there anyway the ex can stop me claiming against his contributions? I know he will do so if at all possible & forewarned is forearmed as they say.

EdInvestor

Hardup_Hester wrote: »

My question now is, is there anyway the ex can stop me claiming against his contributions?

Nope, it's all yours.:) Also, if that's the only income you have when you retire, you can claim pension credit which will boost it to 124 quid a week, plus free council tax and housing benefit if appropriate.

Hardup_Hester

Hi
Thanks for that, I can sleep at night now

ampersand

EdInvestor wrote: »

Nope, it's all yours.:) Also, if that's the only income you have when you retire, you can claim pension credit which will boost it to 124 quid a week, plus free council tax and housing benefit if appropriate.

##############
Excellent reply Ed and I share some of this angst with you, Hester.
Yes, I have been told the same and it was info. spontaneously given by the kind people cited in my earlier post.
I really do recommend you speak to them again.
Here are the no's I phoned:
0845.300184, from which FREEPHONE no. 0800-991234 was given, so use that first. My lady explained that she receives an instant email that Is is on the line and she can call straight back if dealing with someone else.

[Deleted User]

I had £10 more in my weekly state pension yesterday, dec 1st. Does anyone know why?