National insurance contributions

lavender_girl

Hi all,

I would really appreciate some help as im not getting any where with advice re national insurance contributions.
Im currently on Disability Living allowance, which i have been on for over two years now. I have quite a few years of national insurance contributions to make up and they are due this year. I have been hoping that over the last few years i would be better by now and so able to earn enough to make up the contributions i have lost. When I became ill, I didn't have enough contributions, in order to have incapacity benefit, so i have been hoping like mad that the situation would sort its self out. As I don't like being in the situation.

There seems to be so many different ideas on this and am really concerned about pension etc... I do save and i am fortunate to be married to someone who does have a pension etc... but the amount to pay back is quite a lot. I have been helping my husband with his finances over the last few years...

Do I use my savings and pay off the contributions or do i continue to save as much as I can etc...
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

seven-day-weekend

I don't have advice for you but will BUMP it up to the top so that others will see it.

Have you had a State Pension Forecast?

lavender_girl

Thanks Seven-day-weekend ! I appreciate it

Alleycat

I guess it really depends on whether you really need the incapacity benefit now or not and what your pension forecast looks like. I assume when they have contacted you to tell you that you have not made your full NI contributions they gave you an estimate of the likely amount of state pension you would receive. It is a bit of gamble as you don't know what is round the corner and it really depends on how much savings you currently have, how long off retirement you are etc.

Not completely the same, but my MIL has found that she only receives £50ish in state pension due to a lack of NI contributions, however she is getting that topped up to £114 per week with pension credit. Not a massive amount to live on but fortunately she doesn't have any mortgage to pay, just the usual bills.

I would suggest a visit to CAB or if you are able to speak to a pension advisor at the DWP you may get a clearer idea of your best option.

cifpower

To get a state pension forecast go to :

https://secure.thepensionservice.gov.uk/statepensionforecast/

and you will get it in the post within 2 weeks