Shortfall in National Insurance Contributions

sudsey_2

I have a shortfall withmy state pension due to paying married womans contribrution for some years

I was badly advised & now unemployed what can I do to assertain the best pension rate when I reach pension age in 2 1/2 years time?

Can some one advise me please?;)

JanetAS

I have not had time to read all the pages of posts but would like answers please.

I reach 60 in September 2012 so am due to receive my State pension in March 2015. I know I have had some good solid years of employment since 1968 (with a few months here and there unemployed) but since 2004 I have barely worked full time (maybe a couple of years). As I cannot remember back as far as 1968, if I called the Pension Advisors, could they look me up on their computer (from my NI number) and tell me if I am completely up to date? Are they able to do this, without me supplying information of every place I worked at and for how long? (Who can remember all that??)

I am employed by the NHS as a Bank Administrator and have had no work since early May of this year. I am not entitled to JSA, but could I and should I go to the JobCentre and sign on, or am I not able to do so since I am technically still employed?

Thanks!
Janet

jamesd

They will be able to tell you how much you paid every year from the first day you were in PAYE employment. You will not need to tell them anything about employers unless there is a problem with the record, when they might need it to help to correct the mistake.

Before calling them, get a State Pension Forecast. That may tell you all that you need to know. It will tell you about any recent years where the records don't show a full contribution record and how much it would cost to make them count for the basic state pension. It seems unlikely that you would need to buy additional years because 30 will get you a full basic state pension and you probably have that. But don't rely on probably, get the forecast and the actual answer specific to you.

I don't see how you can be technically employed unless the NHS is paying you minimum wage. Unless you are self employed. You should check with the Job Center and find out whether you are entitled to any of the benefits.

If you don't have any more work this year don't neglect reclaiming the tax you paid before May this tax year.

JanetAS

Thanks jamesd.

As for my job with the NHS, I am employed by them, it's just there is no work for me at the moment. Think of it as an in-house employment agency, where jobs are dished out to people who are on the Temp Bank books, if and when a booking arises.

I am not entitled to a tax refund as my allowance is on my company pension, (the remainder of which I am trying to survive on at the moment, together with savings.)

jamesd

Then I think that you are currently unemployed so far as benefits are concerned.

bauhaus100

Sorry if this has been covered before but I can't spot the answer elsewhere. This is a purely theoretical set of circumstances that arose from a discussion at college earlier this week

Suppose an indivdual reaches their nominal retirement age but is still a couple of years short of a full National Insurance contribution record. Could they carry on working, not claim the state pension, pay N.I. to make up the missing years and then retire to obtain a full state pension? The assumption is that the person doesn't have the capital available to pay back contributions from years missed previously.

anmarj

bauhaus100 wrote: »

Sorry if this has been covered before but I can't spot the answer elsewhere. This is a purely theoretical set of circumstances that arose from a discussion at college earlier this week

Suppose an indivdual reaches their nominal retirement age but is still a couple of years short of a full National Insurance contribution record. Could they carry on working, not claim the state pension, pay N.I. to make up the missing years and then retire to obtain a full state pension? The assumption is that the person doesn't have the capital available to pay back contributions from years missed previously.

once you reach state pension age you stop paying NI, so therefore they are not going to count. the pension is based on your employment before being classed as state pension age

Marmaduke123

I worked 2 years after my state pension age, and didn't have a full National Insurance contribution record. As anmarj says, I couldn't carry on paying, although I would have liked to.

There was a benefit though - my pension was enhanced because of the delay in claiming, something like 7% per year. I think the enhancement is a lot more now.

normcatalunya

Hi..sorry if this is already covered..This month I claim my state pension (65!!)with full contributions..My wife has already claimed hers for 3 years but only gets around 65% total..Can my NI's help her?
Thanks in advance....

Lesley1964

I have today been on the Pensions Forecast site. I obtained my details last week after waiting weeks for the ID, code and PIN to be sent to me, then regisetered to find out that a form had to be completed before I could get the figures. Today my partner and I went on the site to get her forecast working our way to the end of the chain of links only to find out that due to updates being made this facility will not be available until late 2012. A waste of my time and effort over the past few weeks. The passes will now expire and I will have to ring up anyway!

Thanks for the phone number it will now be very useful